Temptations of the Grave, Book Two
by hearttorn
Summary: Bones' POV of the 2nd book in the Night Huntress Series, One Foot in the Grave.
1. the love you take

_A/N: Here we go with book 2, One Foot in the Grave, which is my personal favorite out of all the books. Special thanks to Wistar89 for her suggestion of including the letter Cat writes Bones…_

_And here's the big disclaimer...__This is written solely from Bones' point of view. Most of it is internal, just in his head, but there a few things that are referred to in the books that take place between him and Spade or him and Ian, and I will be writing them out. That will be the only original dialogue between characters. A lot of the second book will original thoughts from Bones as he is seeking Cat out. __I've broken the story up into segments of action, rather than by chapter, and they might be shorter than some on this site, but you might get 20 chapters of this story out of one from each book. __Since it is a partial re-write, there are a number of lines in every chapter that belong solely to Jeaniene Frost - I'm just borrowing them. These characters also all belong to Jeaniene Frost, as does the entire Night Huntress World I like to play in._ This little disclaimer is good for every chapter of this story, but will only appear once to save me from having to copy and paste it and save readers from having to skip it.  


_And in the end,  
The love you take,  
Is equal to the love  
You make_

– _The Beatles_

The bed I'd thrown against the wall in a rage made a keening sound as it settled on the floor. The watch she'd left went flying, but I saw Rodney go pick it up and hand it to me, silently. Numbly, I placed it in my pants pocket – the one _not_ containing the ring I had hoped to give Kitten today.

But the letter, the letter… I watched as the letter flew up into the air when it was thrown off the bed and as it seemed to slowly, gently, settle into my lap. When the pink tears cleared from my gaze, I tried to read it, crumpling it up at several points in rage only to smooth it back out again.

_Dear Bones,_

_By now you've come back and found us gone. I want you to know that this was the hardest decision I've ever had to make, leaving you, and it will haunt me forever. I meant what I said last night – I will love you until the day I die. I don't expect you to do the same – in fact I wish you any happiness you might find after this. Grab it and don't let it go, but please, for me, move on. I can't stand the thought of you embittered by this, or giving up your love of life. You have so much love in you to give – if you find someone to share that with, I wish you joy._

_You were right yesterday when you guessed that the men who had me were government. They had me and they had my mother, and they knew about vampires. They said they'd been looking for something strong enough to fight vampires - that wasn't one of them. If I hadn't gone with them, it was only a matter of time before they found out about you, and I wasn't about to lead them right to your doorstep._

_So I took the only option I had – to go with them. You know my mother would never have gone (or stayed) with you for long. She'd look for her first chance to escape. They promised that if I went with them, they'd leave you alone __**and**__ take care of her. This is the only way to keep the only two people I love safe. _

_Please don't hate me. I love you,_

_Your Kitten._

I couldn't believe it. The only woman I'd ever truly wanted expected me to just move on and forget about her? Did she not remember how tenacious I was in my campaign to win her heart? And she honestly expected me to just walk on down the road and find another woman like her? It was insulting, is what it was.

I needed to think. And I needed to plan. Because not for one second was I giving her up, giving _us_ up. I'd waited too long, worked too hard – and I'd seen enough of the world to know that what we had was unique, special, one of a kind.

I wasn't giving up on us. Not now, not ever.

I was a bounty hunter; I knew how to find people. And I had a new person to catch, one red headed half-breed. The clock starts: now.


	2. Digging With a Spade

_Something in me, dark and sticky  
All the time it's getting strong  
No way of dealing with this feeling  
Can't go on like this too long_

_- Peter Gabriel, "Digging in the Dirt"_

I left Rodney's house rather than destroy anything else. I took to the air and flew to the cave. It was an irrational hope, but still a hope, that she had gone there for some reason. However, as soon as I landed at the mouth of the cave, I knew I had hoped in vain.

Everything was just as we'd left it before going off and finding her grandparents killed, then going off to fight Hennessey. And that in itself was the problem: everything was as _we'd_ left it.

Suddenly I couldn't stand to look at the couch where I'd confessed my feelings for her and she'd said, "kiss me." I broke it into pieces and destroyed it down to the frame.

Same thing when I went into the bedroom. The bed that we'd shared – sometimes with her in a panic, but most of the time with us in passion, couldn't exist. I couldn't bear to look at it so I sunk my hands deeply into the padding, over and over again, until it looked like it was snowing. Finally, it was just a shell of springs.

But I still had pent up rage in me. I pummeled the walls as fast as I could, feeling my bones shatter and heal just to shatter again, my efforts taking chips out of the limestone.

I had to get myself together. This wasn't helping anything and it surely wasn't helping me find her. However, when I saw the screen on her little "dressing area" my hurt was so great that I destroyed it, too. But this destruction revealed a benefit – a few of her dresses that I'd left behind when I went to go get her. It was only two or so days ago, but it seemed like forever. Now, though, I had material with her scent on it – scent that might help me find her. I grabbed them and stuffed them in a bag I found in the kitchen area.

I made my way back to the front of the cave and sat on the edge of the destroyed sofa and pulled out my cell phone.

"Charles."

"Crispin! I've been trying to get hold of you, we all have. The entire supernatural world is abuzz with talk of you destroying Hennessy and his whole operation! What on Earth is going on?"

"Charles, sometime I'll fill you in on the details. Right now I need you to do something for me."

"Of course, of course, anything you need. You know you only have to ask."

"I'm going to send a picture from my phone to yours. Print it out if you need to, or forward it to as many people in your line as you can. Send it to Mencheres, too, and ask him to do the same. But let's try to keep this quiet from Ian for now, right? In fact, let's try to keep this as quiet and low key as possible – just a 'random vampire searching for his property that has run off, needs to have her memory erased' type of thing."

Sounding puzzled, Charles said, "Alright. Are you going to tell me why I'm doing this? And why aren't we telling Ian of this?"

"Because she left, Charles. She's gone. I know it's something to do with the government, but she's left. And we're not telling Ian because he's a cold-hearted sod who doesn't believe in love, and I don't want him finding her first and ruining everything I've worked so hard for."

After a moment, Charles just said, "Blimey, Crispin, I…"

"Just… don't, please. I appreciate the sentiment and I know you of all people know how I feel, so I know you know that words are useless right now." I choked up for a moment, then got control back of my voice enough to go on. "She left a note, and it sounded a bit like she didn't have any choice but to go with them. So as of now, I'm looking for her."

"Crispin, I do have one government contact. He's low level, but he does have access to some databases, things like that. Wants to be turned, so any time the government tries to document one of us, he makes sure all the information just vanishes. _Without_ it being traced back to him."

"Charles, that's brilliant. Absolutely brilliant! Have him run a search on the following names:

Catherine Kathleen Crawfield  
Catherine Crawfield  
Cat Crawfield  
Cathy Crawfield  
Justina Crawfield

Oh, and Danny Milton and Daniel Milton, too."

"Danny Milton?" Charles asked.

"Don't ask", I growled.

I sent him a picture I had snapped with my phone of Kitten when we were out on a job. She was turned towards the door, seeking out our mark, but the picture was just of her lovely face.

The search was on.


	3. New Orleans, No News

_A/N: I'm bringing in a tiny bit of plotline from a short story published in "Happily Never After," and I'm bringing Liza and Majestic in two books early. It just seemed to make sense, since we know from the short story Bones was in New Orleans at some point looking for Cat anyway…_

_Oh mother tell your children/Not to do what I have done  
Spend your lives in sin and misery/In the House of the Rising Sun_

_Well, I got one foot on the platform/The other foot on the train_  
_I'm goin' back to New Orleans/To wear that ball and chain_

_Well, there is a house in New Orleans/They call the Rising Sun_  
_And it's been the ruin of many a poor boy/And God I know I'm one_

_- The Animals_

_**1 year into the search…**_

I was having no luck, tracing Kitten through my normal channels, and the lack of news was starting to get to me. It was affecting my personality, my moods for sure, and when I _did_ take a job, which was rare, I took a frighteningly savage enjoyment out of being extraordinarily cruel.

Then one day I got a call from an old friend of mine, Greta, saying she needed my help. Greta had been good to me, as I had to her, and I knew I could trust her implicitly. She asked me to come down and see her in New Orleans, as she was past the age where humans could travel comfortably (a good bit further past it than most people knew, actually), about a personal matter. And when she said the words "New Orleans," it was like a light bulb went off in my head.

New Orleans. _Of course. _Why hadn't I thought of that earlier?

I drove into the city on my bike, lightly stepped down onto the sidewalk, went off to the side of the townhouse I owned and into the door on the side. I hadn't given any advance warning of my visit, both because Greta asked me for the utmost secrecy and because I wanted the particular person I was _actually_ coming to see to have no prior knowledge of my arrival, if at all possible.

As I came in the door, a startled Liza came in from the front room, alarm on her face quickly changing to what could only be described as a loving smile. Yes, I knew how Liza felt about me, which was one of the main reasons I rarely visited the Big Easy anymore. She came towards me, arms open for what would usually be my answering, if casual, hug.

This time, however, I gently caught her wrists when she was still an arm's length away.

"Sorry, pet. I've met someone, and, um…" Blimey, how did one usually put this? Lucifer's bouncing ball's, I was glad I'd never had to do this before. "Er… I've fallen in love. And…" Could I trust Liza? I quickly decided that _yes_, I could. And besides, she'd find out on her own soon, anyhow. "Well, she's um, she's gone missing." A partial truth, anyway. "And I don't want anyone but her. Not even to hug. So, I'm sorry, pet, but I only want her arms. When I find her again, I'll hug you then, alright?" Because I had no doubt I _would_ find her again. I had to. I just had to.

I could see the sadness cross her face, but she lowered her arms and asked, "Well, chér, then why are you here?"

* * *

I met with Greta that night to see what she needed. I told her I couldn't help her myself, as I was looking for someone pretty much full time, but I called in a favor from a vampire in my line named Chance and he agreed to help out. There. One task crossed off my To Do list.

The next had required a bit more delicacy. While still at the townhouse, I'd dialed the numbers I had stored in my mental Rolodex for the Queen of Orleans, Marie Laveaux - or Majestic, if you're trying to ass kiss, which I definitely was. I scheduled my meeting for the following night, so I spent the next day wandering through the Quarter, drinking whiskeys at bars with outside patios. I was trying to look relaxed, but in truth, I was scanning the crowds, looking for flaming red locks or a familiar face.

I was waiting by the gates of St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 well before Jacques arrived to unlock them. I followed him to Marie's crypt, waited while he gave the Creole password then bypassed him by jumping into the brackish water ahead of him. Yeah, I was a little anxious. So sue me, as you Yanks say (and do).

He caught up quickly and we walked abreast until we reached the stairs that led to where I would meet Marie. I took them two at a time and found her seated in her plush armchair, working on a cross-stitch sampler. It said, "Home is Where the Heart Is." Ghoul humor, since you could only make a ghoul by transplanting an existing ghoul's heart. I wondered wildly if she'd hang it in her kitchen, wherever that was.

I waited as patiently as possible – totally still on the outside, but on the inside, screaming _hurryuphurryupforbloodyssake ohmygodlosingmymindhurryUP_!

Finally, she set down her needlework and looked up at me.

"Bones," she greeted me in that melted caramel voice, "please, take a seat."

"Thank you, Majestic." I would ass kiss each and every way I could if I could get her behind me in my search.

"You're here because you've lost something, haven't you?" she asked in that same, syrupy-level voice.

"How did you-"

"I am the Queen of Orleans. The _ghoul_ queen. You asked several _associates_ of yours to help you look for your property that had run off, didn't you? You should've specified that they only ask the vampires in their line to look if you didn't want me to know.

"Now, if it was just _property_, any vampire who stumbled across her could erase her mind and no one would be the wiser, everyone would be happy. Correct? Yet you want this property returned to you, and you're looking for it in as much secrecy as possible. I wonder why?"

Marie had hawk's eyes. They rarely moved, but saw everything. To lie to her to save face would likely cause civil war in my line between the vampires and the ghouls, not to mention those in Spade's and Mencheres'. I couldn't risk alienating our sister race like that.

Time to 'fess up. "Majestic, I want her returned to me, and I'm looking with all possible secrecy, because I love her."

Nothing. No reaction. She didn't even blink her hawk eyes for the space of almost a minute, surely the longest minute of my entire life. Then, she threw back her head and laughed.

"You? YOU? Quite possibly the most promiscuous vampire alive today, if not in history, and you expect me to believe that _you_ fell in love?" She continued laughing.

I waited until her laughter died down to small chuckles and then said, in a quiet voice, "It's true. I love her. I want no other but her."

She stopped laughing and turned her head completely to look straight at me, her hawk eyes trained fully on me.

"Well, well. I suppose a leopard _can_ change its spots. Tell me then, what would you like of me?"

"I've helped you out a number of times in the past, Majestic, and I've never called in any favors. I'm asking to call them all in now. You rule over every ghoul in this city – you rule this entire _Quarter_. All I'm asking is that if you see her, if one of your ghouls sees her, you let me know immediately and you don't let her leave. I'll warn you, though – she's not just your average human. She's unusually strong and a fierce fighter, so whoever might be looking for her needs to expect that. They also need to expect that she might have military backup." There. That gave them most of the information, without giving away her half-breed status. I didn't want anyone to try to ransom her just for that.

Marie sat, stroking the doily on the arm of her chair for a few moments before speaking.

"You are correct, you would be calling in all the favors between us with this. I will do as you've asked because you have helped me in the past and not taken payment and, up until now, asked nothing in return. You have a photo of this girl?"

"On my phone," I replied.

"Send it to Jacques," she said, with an authoritative little flick of her fingers that let me know our business was finished.


	4. Playing Ball

_A/N: Several reviewers pointed out, correctly, that Unhappily Ever After was set in Philadelphia, not New Orleans. It was Reckoning: Unbound that was set in New Orleans, and it was set before Bones met Cat. So the last chapter actually pulled together three story elements, not two. Hopefully, this chapter, being almost all new material, won't be so confusing! Oh, and I really thought Marie's 'Home is Where the Heart is" cross stitch sampler would get some comments... it just came to me as I was writing and cracked me up. Maybe I'm just weird.  
_

Oh I used to be your baby/ Used to be your pride and joy  
You used to take me dancing/ Just like any other boy  
But now you've found another partner/ You've left me like a broken toy

Oh it's someone else you're taking/ Someone else you're playing to  
Honey though I'm aching/ Know just what I have to do  
If I can't have you when I'm waking/ I'll go to sleep and dream of you

Oh take me take me take me/ To the dreamer's ball  
I'll be right on time and I'll dress so fine/ You're gonna love me when you see me  
I won't have to worry/ Take me take me  
Promise/ 'Till it's morning  
It's all been true

_- Queen_

**3-4 Years Into the Search…**

If you're like me - a hit man, bounty hunter, or the like - there are certain places on the Internet you can go to look for information. _Very_ well hidden places of course, and with high levels of security in case the average web browsing person accidentally stumbles upon them.

They're used to advertise new jobs, post completed jobs in order to obtain the reward, etc. I routinely checked these sites for jobs when I was a hitter. Think of them as deadly craigslists. Now, however, I was trolling them for a different reason.

Rumors had begun to spread in the undead community of a human who was killing off vampires - one with the nickname of the Red Reaper. By Christ, she must've learned well what I taught her to still be taking down vampires. I was elated because it meant she was still alive, but it also meant numerous rewards for her pretty, dead red head.

The first reward posted for her death was from a vampire named Churchill – because he never, never never gave up. I was quick to snatch up the job for myself, and, since I have an excellent reputation as a hit man, he was overjoyed that I'd taken on his hit. All of our details were finalized in private, via email, so he just took down the ad without anyone knowing who took the hit.

Only I put a little twist on the job. Instead of hunting down Kitten, which I was still batting zero on, I twisted silver through Churchill's heart then batted around his head. At least then I felt like I was making _some_ progress. One the one hand, I may not have found Kitten yet, but on the other, now there was one less person wanting to write a check on her lovely arse.

I quickly snapped up two more hits, from vamps named Spyder and 8-Ball, and quietly bounced around their heads. Did you know a shrunken head makes for a terrible basketball? Not much better as a football (soccer ball as you Yanks call it, God only knows why), either. Anyway, that pretty much stopped the hits from coming on her. See? Win-win. I kept her a bit safer, and had a chance to blow off some steam. As I said, win-win.

However, there was one hit on her where I couldn't track down who was behind it, and that scared the stones off me. What if someone else was hired for that hit, and they took her down? I wouldn't be able to stand it; I'd go mad. It made me try to speed up my search even more; track down leads even faster.

But I wasn't having any luck tracing her through my usual paths. It was like she had vanished into thin air. Oh, the public thought Catherine Crawfield was killed in a shootout after killing the governor. She even had a headstone. It made no sense, since I knew she was alive, but I went to her supposed grave. Just the sight of those letters carved into stone broke a little piece off inside of me. And it made me that much more determined to find her.

I had made it into an almost daily habit to pull out her letter and go over it again and again, hoping to find some clue, something I hadn't seen before. It comforted me, being all I had left of her besides the watch and some dresses that had long ago lost their scent.

I'd been over and over in my mind our final two days, trying to see if I could remember something that could lead me to her. All it did was lead to her old apartment. I green-eyed the current tenants into letting me in, then forgetting I was ever there. I headed into the kitchen. A loose board, she'd said. Sure enough, after some searching, I found it. It was a bit dusty, but there it was - a wrapped box with a label saying "Bones" with a heart drawn on it. I made a decision, right then and there, that I wouldn't wear that jacket until I found her. I snatched it up and left.

That got my motivation re-energized. Over and over I read her letter, and it was as if I suddenly unscrambled the letters. I realized I had a few clues I could work that I hadn't already tried.

One: her father. Find him, and it might lead to her. I knew if she was vampire hunting, he had to be high on her list of vamps to find and kill, still – if she hadn't taken him out already.

Two: the government. The government centers most of its agencies in three states: Virginia, West Virginia, and Tennessee. So now I had narrowed it down from fifty states to just three as possible locations to find her.

The final clue came in the form of a phone call. Charles had been checking in with me periodically, to see that I was still sane, I suspect, but he covered his tracks with "updates" from his government contacts. Or rather, lack of updates. This call, however, was different.

"Hallo, Charles, how goes it?"

"Fine here, Crispin, and you?"

"I've uncovered some new leads to follow up on, but nothing solid yet. Just new ground to cover."

"Then I might have some good news for you. My government contact just rang to tell me that one of the names you had him looking for 'rang the cherries,' is I believe how he put it."

I froze, unable to speak for a moment. Then I got hold of myself and asked, oh so casually, "Which one?"

"Danny Milton. Haven't the foggiest who he is or why you wanted him searched for, but he's been checked into hospital for a gunshot wound."

"Where?"

"Chicago."

Chicago. Nowhere near where I thought she might be. Never mind that; I started throwing clothes in a bag.

"Crispin? Still there?"

"Yes, sorry mate. A million thanks for this. I'll keep you posted; meanwhile, have your contact keep looking." I hit the off button on the call and immediately dialed some numbers while I threw the wrapped box containing the jacket into my bag.

"Rodney. Feel up to a field trip, mate?"


	5. I Believe in Love

I made a promise to myself/Locked it away deep down inside  
Told my heart we'd wait it out/Swore we'd never compromise  
Oh I'd rather be alone/Like I am tonight  
Than settle for the kind of love/That fades before the morning light

Silence stared me in the face/And I finally heard its voice  
It seemed to softly say/That in love you have a choice  
Today I got the answer/And there's a world of truth behind it  
Love is out there waiting somewhere/You just have to go and find it

I believe in love, I believe in love/A love that's real, love that's strong  
Love that lives on and on/Yes I believe in love  
Yes I believe in love

_- The Dixie Chicks_

I immediately booked flights for Rodney and I to arrive in Chicago around the same time, and got us hotel rooms. A quick look through the Yellow Pages and a few phone calls later gave us the information that a Daniel Milton had indeed been checked into Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

Once we arrived, we found the hospital's laundry facility and snagged some orderly's scrubs in Rodney's size. I green-eyed the nurses into believing that they knew Rodney, and that I was the shite's brother (a revolting thought, yet one that garnered me pretty much unfettered access to his room).

He was just coming out of the anesthesia from surgery to remove the bullet from his leg when Rodney and I reached his room. Both of us waited in the corner, out of sight of the door, for him to come 'round. It was clear when he did that he had no clue who I was. I got him under my gaze, and inside his mind it was murky, filmy and like someone had wrapped a cobweb 'round his brain.

Brainwashing, then. I'd come across it a few times, but it wasn't strong enough to hold up under a Master vampire's gaze. I pushed harder, and felt a "snap" when I got through to his memories. He jerked on the bed, trying to push away from me, but I quickly got him in a hold he'd never break and commanded him to answer my questions, _quietly_, and not move. He calmed down immediately.

"Do you remember me?"

"Yes. You mangled my hand at the bar that night I saw Catherine again," he mumbled.

"Do you know why you're here now?"

"Yes. Got shot."

"And who shot you?"

"Catherine." I exchanged a look with Rodney, who had been busy reading the file clipped to the end of the bed.

"Why did she shoot you?"

"Some other… I don't know… whatever YOU are… came to my door and took me. Drug me to a cave." Rodney and I exchanged another look. "And this… guy, this Lazarus – _bollocks! I_ knew _someone else would take up that hit!_ – he'd heard about me and he thought Catherine would come to get me."

"How did he hear about you?"

"I bragged to some friends that I slept with the governor's killer." _That little shite…_

"And Catherine came to the cave?"

"Yes."

"But these other blokes thought she still had feelings for you?"

"Yes. But she kept saying, 'Where's Bones?' Where's Bones?' and they seemed to get freaked out." I exchanged a long, meaningful glance with Rodney. "And then they said she was only trying to trick them, that she still had feelings for me. And she got mad and said she'd _help_ them kill me and shot me." _Good on her._

"What happened after that?"

"I don't… I don't know. I think she killed some of them, but everything's fuzzy… that's the last I remember until I woke up here."

"Danny, you piece of shite, you should be glad that she made me promise not to hurt you. And so I'm not going to." He seemed to relax a bit. "But my mate here is."

"Wait! I remember one more thing!"

"And that is?"

"As soon as she saw me, she said something about me being the reason she had to drag her ass up here from Virginia."

_Virginia_. Narrowed it down to one, then. Finally the shite was good for something in his pathetic excuse for a life. "You've been moderately helpful. So I'm going to do you a courtesy – I'm going to have my mate here make your death quick, even though you really, really, _really_ deserve a long, painful and drawn out death." He started to squirm away again but I gave him a quick command to be quiet and be still.

I looked over at Rodney. "Anything useful on that chart?"

"He was flown in by Medevac, and the next of kin is listed as a D. Williams." Hmmm. Not a familiar name to me, but I'd have Charles add it to the search list.

"That all?" Rodney nodded. "Make it quick, then, and make sure he's never found." Rodney gave me another, this time grim nod.

I went outside into the hallway, and heard the snap as Rodney broke his neck. Then I watched him wheel his bed out and off down the hall, to do what with his body I don't know. Probably to make a snack out him; I didn't care. All I cared about was that I had kept my promise to Kitten: I hadn't laid a harsh hand on him, and I didn't stay and watch as Rodney gave him a far quicker death than he deserved. I had other things to focus on now.

I went back into the room and went about erasing all evidence of us being there - fingerprints, etc. I only left one thing behind – a watch.

I waited on top of a building across the way, where I had a perfect view of what used to be Danny's room. I was waiting… waiting to see if my little maneuver with Danny had smoked Kitten out of hiding.

But instead, a brawny brown haired bloke that I recognized from Ohio came into the room to inspect it. When I thought about it, I could see where Kitten might not want to go into the room herself. But I still thought she was nearby, and this bloke was gathering up evidence and taking it out for her to review.

I watched him box up the articles in the room, including the watch. I held my beeper so tightly in my hand I was afraid I would break it. But nothing happened. It didn't go off. Not after five minutes, ten minutes, a half hour, an hour - more than enough time for her to have seen it if she was nearby.

Then I remembered her voice, talking about the brawny bloke.

"_Don't kill him, Bones!"_

"_Don't kill him, Bones!"_

"_Don't kill him, Bones!"_

Right, then. She'd either forgotten about the watch completely, or perhaps she'd moved on with this bloke. After all, just the day after her saying that to me, she'd disappeared into the smoke, and apparently with him.

Pain blasted through me like I'd been cut with silver. Pain like I hadn't felt since the day she left. I stopped at a liquor store, bought a bottle of Jack Daniels, and went back to my hotel room to brood and drink.

I was halfway through the bottle and feeling no better when my mobile rang. I looked at the ID: Annette.

"Crispin, darling, how are you?"

"I've been better, Annette, to be honest."

"Oh your poor dear, haven't you found you lost girl yet?"

"No. And right now I'm not sure she even remembers me."

"Well, what _are_ you doing, dearest?"

"At the moment, I'm brooding my way through a bottle in a hotel room in Chicago."

"What a coincidence, darling! I'm in Chicago myself. Why don't you come 'round and I'll see if I can't help lift your spirits?"

I knew what she was offering, what she really meant. But I was lonely, in pain from Kitten not pressing that button, and hurt that she might've moved on with the brawny bloke. Perhaps what I needed was to move on myself.

"What hotel are you staying at?" She gave me a name and a room number. "I'm on my way."

I hadn't touched a woman in over four years, a record for me. But when Annette opened the door, all the pain and loneliness came roaring to the surface. Before I knew it, I had her clothes and mine stripped off, and I was kissing her so hard I tasted blood.

That was okay; I knew Annette liked it rough on occasion. I threw her onto the bed and all I saw was reddish hair and pale skin, and suddenly, she ceased to be Annette and became the person I'd been longing for.

But even as I acted out of mindless rote, things kept intruding on my little fantasy. The thighs over my shoulders were short and plump, not long and lean. The flesh under my hands and mouth was cool, not hot. And finally, a word broke through the haze that let me know that no matter how much I wanted it to be Kitten, it wasn't.

"_Crispin!"_

That succeeded in stopping me in my tracks. I fairly threw Annette away from me and was up and dressed before she knew what was happening and that things weren't following our usual course.

I reached the door and turned to see her confused expression.

"Annette… forgive me. I should never have come, this should never have happened. I… I just want one person, and for a moment I had myself fooled into thinking you were her, but I can't pretend any longer. I apologize."

I left in a swish of movement, but not before noting Annette's eyes were lit up green in anger, her expression enraged. I'd have to deal with this in the future, of that I was sure.


	6. A Game of Chance, or a Chance of a Game?

There are silver tressed darlings/And raven mane delights  
When she gets all fired up/She beats them in the night  
That red head walking/That red head walking  
Red head walking/You get too close  
She'll warn you with her growl/Scarlet struttin'  
She's a fog cuttin'/Leather chested gal  
Red head walking/Better listen keep your distance from that crimson crime warpath  
Kiss that girl/Kiss that girl  
She'll cut your heart like diamonds/End of story  
You bet you're gonna lose it to that hell bound crimson glory  
Red head walkin'/Red head walkin'  
Heed what this wise man says/Keep away from red heads.

_- Beat Happening_

I was busy the next week or so. I'd had Charles add "D. Williams" to the search list, and on a hunch I added that he was probably in Virginia. Then I traveled back to Licking Falls, Ohio – Kitten's hometown – determined to track down her father.

I remembered what I had told her about her age, how long her mum had carried her, and being able to search back from there. So there I went, and there I worked. I sneaked into the police department at night, trying to look for any John Does or missing person's cases for around the weeks I thought she would've been conceived, but there was nothing.

Now, I'm right good at finding people. I could see her being carefully hidden, as she'd become the elusive Red Reaper, but why no mention, no report on her father? There seemed to be no reason for him vanishing into the smoke as well; unless, of course, the same person had hidden them both.

I was still in Licking Falls, about to wrap things up and head to Virginia, when I got a phone call that would dramatically change my search.

"Hallo, Crispin!"

"Ah, Ian, mate, how are you?"

"I'm well, mate, very well. I'm in New York for a bit and I'm putting together a poker game. I need you and Rodney to make up the numbers. Shall we say, this Saturday?"

"I'm a bit busy at the moment, Ian…"

"Oh, trust me, mate, you'll _want_ to be there. See you Saturday." Bugger. You can't really ignore a command from your sire, no matter what is going on in your personal life. So I bought a plane ticket and made arrangements for Rodney to be there as well.

Saturday arrived and when I got to Ian's house (really one of Mencheres' mansions in the area, he had several and Ian always liked flash) I was shown in and taken to the games room. It had a billiards table, roulette wheel and the like.

When I entered, I realized I was the last to arrive. Rodney, Ian and Charles were already at the table. I gave Charles an inquiring look over Ian's head, but he just gave a tiny shrug in response. He didn't have a clue why we were here, either.

I was dealt in and we began to play, making small talk for a few hands. Finally, Ian got to the point.

"I had the most surprising visitor a bit back."

I looked at Charles and he asked, "Oh?" in a bored tone.

"Indeed. A young woman came to my door from the FBI, investigating the deaths of two of my employees. Beautiful for an FBI agent. Gorgeous, really. Very Raphaelite, with clouds of crimson hair and the most amazing smoky grey eyes. Excellent kisser." _Oh, please don't be going where I think you're going with this…_

Even though the three of us maintained our bored slouches, Rodney, Charles and I flicked our gazes at one another. Ian kept his eyes on his cards and continued.

"What was truly amazing were her fighting skills. She slew Magnus – which I'm very brassed off about, actually – but she seemed familiar, somehow. I don't recall seeing her before, but she fought so well, she _had_ to be the Red Reaper. Faith, she fought so well, in fact, that when I had her knocked down, she pretended to be unconscious and I ended up with a knife in my heart.

"I said something about the _Alexander_, and she froze before twisting the knife. Said she knew who I _wasn't_, so she wanted to know who I _was_. I was astonished to know she knew about our history – how we'd met. So few people do." My eyes flicked to Charles' in panic, though I kept my face blank. Ian, meanwhile, kept his eyes on his cards the entire time.

"Here's the most amazing thing, though – when I thought she was unconscious, I began to feel her down for more weapons. When I got her trousers open, though – _bastard_ – I came across an unusual tattoo on her hip."

"Ian, if you have a point, get to it. This story is getting rather long, mate," I drew out.

He chuckled and finally met my eyes. "Oh, there's a point. Here's why her fighting skills seemed familiar – that tattoo was an exact replica of _yours_, Crispin. Who knew the Red Reaper was a protégée of yours?"

Kitten had copied my tattoo? Perhaps she hadn't moved on with the brawny bloke, after all. Hope flared within me, but I kept my face carefully blank.

"If she fought so well, Ian, how are you still here? Any protégée of mine would know to twist the knife."

"She said you'd saved her mum once and that was why she was letting me go. I offered to bring you to her, but she said a few rather nasty things about you so I gathered she's not interested in resuming any former relationship you might have had."

I snorted. "Oh? It's true about her mum, but what were these mean and nasty things she had to say?"

"Oh," he waved a breezy hand, "that you'd used her as bait to take down Hennessy's bunch years ago. Oh, and that you'd promised to pay her for jobs but never came through with the quid."

Smart girl. She knew if that conversation came back to me, I'd know it wasn't true. She also knew not to let Ian have too much interest in me. Yearning for her came roaring to the surface.

"Since it seems the Red Reaper isn't interested in having a relationship with _you_, I'm going to see if she wants one with _me_," Ian proclaimed.

I thought fast. "Trust me, mate, you don't want to bother. She snores appalling loudly, is quite the whiner and, well, its ungentlemanly of me to say, but a shower now and then wouldn't hurt her."

"Not a bother," Ian said, waving another airy hand. "You know I sleep like the dead anyway, pun intended, and once I have her in my line, I can throw her in a shower any time I like. Actually, I'd rather enjoy that," he grinned. "And as for the whining, taking her over my knee ought to put a stop to that. Actually, I'd quite enjoy _that_ as well."

Bloody bastard. I had my hand on my knife and just as I was about to leap from my chair and tackle him from across the table, Charles spoke up.

"I call," he said brightly. "Full house, spades."


	7. Missing You

_A/N: This is the last original chapter... next up will be the wedding and bring us into the book! Thanks for hanging in there with me while I wrote out all the drafts and ideas I scribbled down in the middle of the night, suffering from insomnia... hopefully I've made it work and it will tie what Bones has been doing into the book. Thanks to Wistar89 for helping me remember the deleted quote from Bones about love transcending time, and for her patience with me generally pulling my hair out trying to work out the sequence of the last two chapters!  
_

Every time I think of you/I always catch my breath  
And I'm still standing here and you're miles away/And I'm wondering why you left

And there's a storm that's raging/Through my frozen heart tonight  
I hear your name in certain circles/And it always makes me smile

I spend my time thinking about you/And it's almost driving me wild

And there's a heart that's breaking down this long-distance line tonight  
I ain't missing you at all/Since you've been gone away.  
I ain't missing you/No matter what I might say.

There's a message in the wire/And I'm sending you this signal tonight.  
You don't know how desperate I've become/And it looks like I'm losing this fight.  
In your world I have no meaning/Though I'm trying hard to understand

And it's my heart that's breaking down this long-distance line tonight.  
I ain't missing you at all/Since you've been gone away.  
I ain't missing you/No matter what my friends say.

And there's a message that I'm sending out like a telegraph to your soul  
And if I can't bridge this distance/Stop this heartbreak overload

I ain't missing you at all/Since you've been gone away  
No I ain't missing you no matter what my friends say  
I ain't missing you/I ain't missing you  
I can lie to myself.

And there's a storm that's raging/Through my frozen heart tonight.  
I ain't missing you at all/Since you've been gone away

_- John Waite_

After Ian's game upped the ante, shall we say, on my search, I knew I had to act quickly. He was good at finding people, but I was better. And, I had an ace in the hole. Thanks to that little shite Danny, I knew she was in Virginia. Plus, Charles' contact had come through again – there was one D. Williams, living in Virginia, who worked for the government. He was supposed to be hush-hush, but when you've got someone inside your operation looking for you, it's hard to stay hidden.

Because of that information, I knew he was based in the Richmond area. So, on the hunch that Kitten was there as well, that's where I went. I rented a house on the outskirts of town and began going through public records, buying county commissioner's records, anything I could think of that might indicate Kitten living there. I tried any combination of her names that I could imagine, yet again I came up empty handed.

One night, dejected, I stopped in a pub to unwind for a bit. I sat at the bar, and a few minutes after I sat down, a tawny haired lad sat down next to me. Wasn't the conversationalist type, either, which was just as well as I wasn't feeling chatty.

He had a few beers, I had more than a few whiskeys, when finally he spoke.

"I hope this won't be engraved on my tombstone, but you haven't breathed in an hour. Care to tell me how you do that?"

I sighed and gave him a peep of my eyes, telling him he hadn't noticed anything, and tried to go back to my whiskey.

He blinked and asked, "Is that supposed to work?"

Well, bugger me dead. I introduced myself as Cris Pin and we struck up a conversation. I found out he was a computer consultant. Seemed to be a genuinely nice bloke, too. We soon became regular drinking buddies until one day, he fairly floated into the bar.

"Cris," he grinned, "I've met someone and I've asked her to marry me! I know I haven't known her very long, but when you know, you know, right?"

"Right you are, mate. When I fell in love, I knew the day I met her. Randy, mate, don't bother about how long you've known this girl if you love her. Time has no dominion over love. Love is the one thing that transcends time. Congratulations, mate. Best of luck to you." I raised my glass in a salute.

"Listen, I wanted to ask if you'd be a groomsman…?"

"Randy, mate, I'm honored. Just let me know what you need me to do, and I'm happy to oblige."

"Thanks. The wedding's in a few weeks, but I'm moving into Denise's house this weekend. Denise says she has some help coming to move furniture."

"Well, you've my mobile number, so if you need more help, let me know."

"Will do. Denise is supposed to go to her final dress fitting that night with her best friend then they're going to dinner, so maybe you and I can meet up here?"

"Sounds like a plan, mate."

I didn't think any more about Randy, his fiancée Denise or them moving until that night when I went to meet Randy for drinks. I was already at the bar when a scent came in the room that was as familiar to me as my own. But, it was a scent I hadn't smelled in over 4 years.

I froze, not letting myself turn towards the scent, but it came straight to me instead. When it sat down next to me, I turned in shock to realize it was coming from _Randy_. Innate vampire territorialism came rushing to the surface – why was _he_ covered in _my_ Kitten's scent? – but I managed to stay calm long enough to learn that she was Denise's best friend. I covered a laugh with a cough when he mentioned her being strong enough to help move furniture – farmers, my arse.

I waited until he went to the gent's and snuck a look at his phone, which he'd left on the bar. I flicked through the contact list until finally, I found what I was looking. One good guess as to the true identity of Cristine Russell – _Russell?_ – gave me a phone number. When he came out, I made a quick excuse and left. I called 411 for information and amazingly quickly, I had an address.

Revving up my new Ducati, I memorized the MapQuest directions from my phone and within minutes was sitting in front of a small frame house. I dragged the bike into the woods across the street, far enough back from the road so it wouldn't be seen, and made my way over.

The driveway was empty and all the lights out, confirming Randy's claim that she and Denise were at a dress fitting and having a late dinner. Even in the drive, I could smell her. It tantalized me, and I made my way to the rear of the house.

I slipped the lock on one of her windows and climbed in. _Oh, Kitten_. There was absolutely nothing personal in the house – no photos, no art, only a few books – not even a plant. The only thing alive in that house was a small black kitten with a cast on its leg, who blinked at me in curiosity.

Her life, it seemed, was as empty as mine had been without her. There were no photos of the brawny brown haired bloke, so presumably they weren't an item. Sadness and relief flooded me in equal measures - relief that she didn't seem to be dating anyone, and sadness that her life seemed so empty.

I crept back out the window, careful to shut it, and made my way across the street to wait. Soon enough, a black Volvo SUV – the same one I'd given her, from the look and age of it – came down the street and turned into the drive.

A leggy brunette got out. _Brunette?_ Whoever she was, she froze when she got out, and I wondered if, whoever she was, she'd felt the wisp of energy I'd let escape. Then she turned, and it felt like everything in the world slowed down and stopped.

Yes, the hair was different, but the face… the face was the one I'd dreamt about every night for years. I'd found her at last.


	8. Love of My Life

_A/N: I've been wanting to use this song for quite a while (it's one of my favorites) but I couldn't make it fit. However, since this is the wedding scene, and he's telling Cat they have to talk, I thought it worked since it's about love, loss, and yearning. Very Bones and Cat at the beginning of this book. Hope you enjoy it. - HT_

_Love of my life - you've hurt me/You've broken my heart and now you leave me  
Love of my life can't you see/Bring it back, bring it back  
Don't take it away from me, because you don't know/What it means to me_

_Love of my life don't leave me/You've taken my love and now desert me_  
_Love of my life can't you see/Bring it back, bring it back_  
_Don't take it away from me, because you don't know/What it means to me_

_You'll remember/When this is blown over_  
_And everything's all by the way/When I grow older_

_I will be there at your side to remind you/How I still love you  
Back, hurry back/Please bring it back home to me  
Because you don't know what it means to me_

- Queen

I stood waiting with Randy and the rest of the groomsmen that weren't ushers at the altar. To be honest, I was a ball of nerves. I had no idea how this was going to go down. I had only glimpsed her briefly a few days before, and instinct had told me to wait for this moment. Kitten would be seeing me for the first time in over four years. I wanted to see her eyes when she first saw me, see what she felt. Also, in this situation she couldn't exactly run off down the aisle. As maid of honor, a lot of eyes would be on her.

They started the wedding march and my heart and stomach constricted. The bridesmaid came up the aisle, and then just before Denise, here she came. I knew she felt my energy immediately, because she whipped her head to each side of the guests and then finally looked my way.

It took her a second as I'd let my hair go back to it's normal brown, but there it was. Joy. Complete Joy crossed her face and I saw her tug slightly on the arm of the best man as if she were going to jump my way, but she quickly schooled her features into an empty, smiling mask that didn't reach her eyes.

She reached her place at the front and one of the bridesmaids said, "Don't even think about the hottie; I call dibs."

"Shut up," she replied, too low for the guests to overhear, but I heard her and my heart opened a bit. _Jealous, luv?_

She seemed to be in shock. She had to be nudged by the bridesmaid to accept Denise's bouquet when it was time for the ring exchange.

Denise and Randy ascended back up the aisle, and she nearly ran when it was her turn to follow. The best man tried to restrain her to a sedate walk, but she yanked on his arm to speed him up.

"I have to go to the bathroom," she lied. "Tell Noah not to wait for me; I'll go straight to do the pictures afterward." _Noah? Who in the name of arse was Noah?_

She bolted for the ladies' room, her flower bouquet forgotten on the ground.

I tried to be nonchalant as I followed her to the ladies. Once I was there I could hear that there was only one, very fast beating heart in there. So in I went, locking the door behind me. I acted like this wasn't affecting me, but inside I was a mess of nerves.

"_Hallo, Kitten."_

She was in a heap on the floor, head between her knees, yet the first thing she said was so characteristic of her it made me laugh.

"God, Bones, this is the ladies' room! What if someone sees?"

"Still a prude? Don't fret—I locked the door behind me."

She sprang to her feet, but I blocked the only exit.

"Look at you, luv. Can't say I prefer the brown hair, but as for the rest of you…you're luscious." She was, too. She was a tiny bit taller, and she'd filled out in the bust area and developed a lovely shaped arse. Still athletic, but curvy. I couldn't stop staring at her, trying to see it all and wishing I could throw on her on the bathroom counter and pick up where we'd left off. I could hardly keep from staring at her larger cleavage. I wanted to slide my tongue there and fill my hands with her breasts – and they looked like they'd be a full handful now, too.

I traced the inside of my lower lip with my tongue as my eyes slid all over her. When I took a step closer though, she flattened back against the wall.

"Stay where you are."

Okay, so she was a bit skittish. I could work around that – after all, I had before. I leaned nonchalantly against the counter top. "What are you all lathered about? Think I'm here to kill you?"

"No. If you were going to kill me, you wouldn't have bothered with the altar ambush. You obviously know what name I'm going under, so you would have just gone for me one night when I came home."

I whistled appreciatively. She really was my best creation. "That's right, pet. You haven't forgotten how I work. Do you know I was offered a contract on the mysterious Red Reaper at least three times before? One bloke had half-a-million bounty for your dead body."

"What did you say, since you've just confirmed you're not here for that?"

I straightened and got serious. "Oh, I said yes, of course. Then I hunted the sods down and played ball with their heads. The calls quit coming after that."

"So, then, why are you here?"

I smiled and moved closer. "Not happy to see me after all these years? Do you know why I wanted to catch you unawares? So I could see your eyes, and know what you felt in that very instant."

She looked around in panic for an escape, but I blocked the only one. So she went for the only thing that could distract me, and it did.

"Have you met my boyfriend?"

_Bollocks. A boyfriend? Is that the Noah she mentioned? If so, he wouldn't be a boyfriend for long. She was _my_ Kitten._

My eyes narrowed, and my lips thinned into a tight line.

"Just how did you weasel into Randy's life to become a groomsman in this wedding, anyhow? Find out my best friend was marrying him? You must have mind-fucked him quick. They were only engaged a month."

_Sassy wench. I'd missed her brass balls. _I pointed a finger near her face. "Your man Randy I've known for six months. Long before Denise met him. Unusual bloke, don't you agree? You know what his first words were to me, after we sat side by side for an hour in a bar? He said, 'I hope this won't be engraved on my tombstone, but you haven't breathed this whole time. Care to tell me how you do that?'"

She blinked, taking that in. "He knows what you are?"

I nodded. "I gave him a peep of the eyes, you know, with the green lights on, and told him he hadn't seen anything. He blinked at me the same way you just did and asked me if that was supposed to work. Obviously that was unexpected. I struck up a conversation with him and we became chummy. It wasn't until this week, after I'd accepted my position in his wedding, that he met me at a bar with your scent all over him. You'd helped him move furniture that day."

"So running into you is just a coincidence? You've, ah, gotten over what happened before?"

I locked my eyes with hers, unblinking. "Wouldn't you like to know? But I don't believe I'm going to tell you. You can stew about it, like I've had to stew ever since I got your bloody Dear John note. I will tell you this, though—we have unfinished business between us. And we're damn sure going to sort it out no matter how much you'd rather avoid it."

Suddenly there was a pounding on the door. "Cather—, er, Cristine! Are you in there?" _Justina_. My mouth twitched. "I think I'll just pay my respects to your mum, Kitten. Been a while."

"Don't you—!"

Whatever evil plans she was going to throw my way were stopped when I opened the door. Justina looked at me in bewilderment for a second before recognition dawned. Then her face went the color of an eggplant.

"You! You!"

"Lovely to see you again, Justina," I said devilishly. "You look very fetching in that shade."

"You filthy animal!" she raged. "Every night I prayed that you were dead and rotting in hell!"

"Mother!" Kitten said curtly. Absence clearly hadn't made Justina's heart grow fonder of me.

I shrugged. "You should have spoken up a bit. The Almighty must not have heard you."

Kitten pointed a finger at the door. "Bones, whatever you want to say to me can wait until this wedding is over. That's my friend and yours out there, waiting for us to get pictures with them, and that's what we're going to do. Mother, you make one fucking peep to trash Denise's wedding, and I swear to God I'll let him bite you."

"Happy to oblige, Kitten," I assured her.

She jerked her head at the door again. "Out!"

"Ladies." I nodded and sauntered off.


	9. Call Me When You're Sober

_A/N: I don't normally respond to reviews like this, but one reviewer posted as a guest, so I couldn't respond privately. They expressed doubt about Cat's changing figure and Bone's rather 'mind in the gutter' response to it. I can cite several responses to this: in Book One, Bones mentions some vamps liking 'a little more meat on the arse' and a push up bra doing 'wonders' for her cleavage. So we can gather from that she is rather slender and more athletic in frame. In the book where Denise shape shifts into her copy, it's mentioned that Denise has grown taller and filled out in the bust and ass. Gregor mentions her more filled out figure as well. And on a personal note, I was exactly Cat's build at age 22, slim and flat chested. I didn't begin to fill out until 24 and didn't finish until 27 or so. In Book 3 when Mencheres shares his power with Bones, Cat thinks "it was almost a relief to find his mind still in the gutter."_

_Also, I have to take SOME creative license here – for most of the first book, I was asked over and over for more Bones content. So I'll give it, and the way I think fits his character. Sorry for the long response but I felt that review needed answering. Also, I've tried to work in some of the deleted content in here, just to keep things fresh. See if you notice it._

_Don't cry to me/If you loved me, you would be here with me  
You want me/Come find me  
Make up your mind._

_Should I let you fall?/Lose it all?_  
_So maybe you can remember yourself._  
_Can't keep believing/We're only deceiving ourselves._  
_And I'm sick of the lie/And you're too late._

_Don't cry to me/If you loved me, you would be here with me._  
_You want me/Come find me._  
_Make up your mind._

_Couldn't take the blame/Sick with shame._  
_Must be exhausting to lose your own game._  
_Selfishly hated/No wonder you're jaded._  
_You can't play the victim this time, and you're too late._

_Don't cry to me/If you loved me, you would be here with me._  
_You want me/Come find me._  
_Make up your mind._

_You never call me when you're sober._  
_You only want it cause it's over/It's over._

_How could I have burned paradise?_  
_How could I - you were never mine._

_So don't cry to me/If you loved me, you would be here with me._  
_Don't lie to me/Just get your things._  
_I've made up your mind._

- Evanescence

I was waiting when Kitten arrived in the hall for photos. Felicity, the bridesmaid paired with me for the evening, it seemed, was coming onto me like a bad rash. And, as I knew it would drive Kitten to reveal her feelings for me, I decided to turn on the charm.

When she came into the room, Denise abandoned the pose she had with Randy and met Kitten and her mum at the entrance.

"Oh, Cat, I didn't know that Randy's friend was…" She lowered her voice. "A vampire! But don't worry. I talked to Randy. He was amazed I knew they existed, too! We have so much in common. Anyhow, Randy swears he's harmless. Says he's known him for months."

Her mum looked at Denise like she'd grown three heads.

"Harmless?! We aren't talking about a dog that may or may not bite! We are talking about a murderer—"

"Ahem," Kitten interrupted, stroking her neck for emphasis. Justina closed her mouth and stalked off. I snorted with laughter, having been listening.

"It's okay, Denise," Kitten reassured her. "He knows as long as he keeps his fangs clean, we won't have any problems."

"How does he know that?" Denise asked practically. "Did you talk to him? You were in the bathroom awhile and I didn't see him. Did you corner him?"

_The other way around, luv._ "Um, well, kind of…er," Kitten stammered. "I know him. I mean, I've seen him around before. Around Virginia, that is. He, uh, he and I have an understanding. He doesn't mess with me and I don't mess with him."

"Well, then let's go get pictures. I'm glad you two aren't going to fight. Tell him not to mention anything about you to Randy, okay? Your boss would lose all the hairs off his balls if he found out how many people knew about you."

"Well put," Kitten retorted.

During the pictures, Felicity managed to squeeze herself almost indecently next to me. Kitten bent down between shots, pretending to fiddle with the strap on her shoe.

"Keep it up and she'll need a new pair of panties before dinner."

I smiled at something Felicity said and coughed into my hand. "Jealous, luv?"

She continued fiddling. "Not at all. Why don't you just take her around back and fuck her real fast before we go to the reception? Then maybe she'll simmer down a notch and not act like such a whore."

"Ah, Kitten," I said low, refitting the rose in my lapel so no one would see my lips move. "You know how I like to take my time…"

"Just the wedding party, now," the photographer said and ushered us to stand together. Move in closer, that's right, a little closer. Now smile and think about the one you love."

It was a ridiculous line, but as the camera clicked, Kitten and I stared into each others' eyes.

* * *

As soon as pictures were over, Kitten made a beeline for the bar. She downed the first glass without budging in front of the bartender.

"Another one."

The bartender made an inquiring face but poured another gin and tonic. She eyed the level he selected and gave him a dirty look.

"More alcohol," she said succinctly.

"Drowning your sorrows?" I mocked behind her.

"None of your business," she snapped.

"There you are, darling!" A lanky bloke with hair that seemed to always flop in his eyes came over and gave her a peck on the cheek. This must be the boyfriend. I tightened my lips into a grim line as I watched.

"Um, Noah…I'll show you to your table." Kitten offered, no doubt wanting to get him away from me. I saw Justina watching us and, wanting to distract myself from the sight of Kitten with someone else, I devilishly winked at her.

Kitten saw Noah to his seat, since she was sitting separately at the head table with the rest of the bridal party. Her mum pulled her aside as soon as she left Noah. Justine's face was florid.

"Do you know what that beast did when you walked away from him at the bar? He winked at me!"

Taken aback, Kitten laughed.

"You think that's funny?" Justina irrationally demanded.

"Well, Mom, he risked his life for you, and then you tried your damnedest to have him killed. He may not like you."

She spoke low but flippantly, not concerned over my actions with her.

There were place cards at the head table, which was one long, rectangular thing that would have everyone facing the reception room. She sat at the one marked Cristine Russell. _I still couldn't believe that she was using my real surname as her alias. She may have run, but she hadn't left me truly behind_.

Randy sat to her left, with Denise to his right. To Kitten's right read Cris Pin. I'd fiddled with the seating cards to arrange this – and it should prove priceless.

"You've got to be kidding me," she said aloud.

"Justina, we meet again." I appeared and took my seat next to Kitten as she vaulted out of her chair. "Wouldn't want to be rude, but I believe your table is over there." I inclined my head to where Noah – _wanker_- sat, oblivious to the drama.

"There you are!" Felicity squealed. She grabbed me by the arm and smiled at me. Another seating card I'd fiddled with – just to grate on Kitten's nerves.

"You and I are paired together for the night, so no more running off! I hope you dance as great as you look."

"Slut," Kitten muttered, but not softly enough.

"What was that?" Felicity asked, still batting her eyelashes at me.

"Er, good luck." Her voice rose to a normal level and she backed away.

Felicity looked smug. "I don't need luck."

Kitten downed her gin and then headed, again, for the bar. Her mum glared at me as she followed after her.

"Oh, Ms. _Russell_," I called out. She froze. "Would you be a luv and get me a drink? You remember my preference, I'm sure."

She took a deep breath and headed towards the bar.

"That filthy, lecherous—" Justina began.

"Stuff it." They reached the bar. Kitten gave the poor attendant behind it a murderous look. "Tall glass. All gin. Don't even think about commenting."

The bartender's face blanched but he poured to her specifications. She took a long swallow before adding, "Oh yeah. And a fucking whiskey, neat."


	10. Cry

_A/N: I guess I should apologize for responding so strongly in my last A/N. It's just that I've read these books SO many times that I get a bit (or a lot) defensive sometimes. So, sorry… let's just go back to what the books say about Cat's figure and go from there. ;) Special thanks go to Wistar89 for a bit of trivia I didn't know, but decided to work in, so that part is fairly original, and _very_ Bones. There's a LOT of deleted material in here, so hopefully it will seem new to you. LOL Let's wrap up the wedding!_

_If I had just one tear running down your cheek  
Maybe I could cope maybe I'd get some sleep  
If I had just one moment at your expense_

_Maybe all my misery would be well spent  
_

_Could you cry a little/Lie just a little  
Pretend that you're feeling a little more pain/I gave now I 'm wanting  
Something in return/So cry just a little for me_

_If your love could be caged, honey I would hold the key_  
_And conceal it underneath the pile of lies you handed me_  
_And you'd hunt those lies/They'd be all you'd ever find_  
_And that'd be all you'd have to know/For me to be fine_

_And you'd cry a little/Die just a little  
And baby I would feel just a little less pain  
I gave now I'm wanting/Something in return  
So cry just a little for me_

_Give it up baby/I hear you're doin' fine_  
_Nothin's gonna save me/I can see it in your eyes_  
_Some kind of heartache/Darlin' give it a try_  
_I dont want pity/I just want what is mine_

_Could you cry a little/Lie just a little  
Pretend that you're feeling a little more pain  
I gave now I'm wanting/Something in return  
So cry just a little for me/Cry just a little for me_

- Faith Hill

Felicity gasped as she saw the half-empty pilsner glass of gin Kitten returned with. "Cristine, can't you keep a lid on your drinking? This is my cousin's wedding, for heaven's sake!"

Kitten thunked my whiskey on the table in front of me, but Felicity's tone made Kitten squeeze her own glass so hard that it shattered. Gin spilled on the front of her and her palm started to bleed. I inhaled the familiar scent_ – sharp, tangy and sweet – _my Kitten. I may not have tasted her in over four years, but her blood was still inside of me, and always would be.

"Motherfucker!" she shouted.

Every head turned. I smothered a laugh by faking a sudden cough.

"Are you okay?" Randy looked worriedly at between us and wrapped his napkin around her hand. He glanced at me again, and I gave him an innocent shrug.

"I'm all right, Randy," she yelped in a mortified tone.

Denise poked her head around her new husband. "Do you want us to switch the seats?" she asked her quietly, thinking Kitten was rattled because I was a vampire.

"Cristine!" That wanker Noah came bounding up to the table and took the napkin off her hand. "Is it bad?"

"I'm fine," she snapped harshly. He cringed at her tone. _That's right, mate, you aren't nearly strong enough for her._ "Just embarrassed," she covered. "I'll be okay. Go back to your seat. Let's not make it worse."

While she was occupied with the human equivalent of a teddy bear, I took the opportunity to lean behind Randy and ask Denise, "What does Noah do for a living?"

"He's a vet," she responded, puzzled. "He has a clinic, Noah's Furry Ark. Why?"

"Just wondered since he seemed to have a medical interest in her cut, that's all," I smiled.

Meanwhile, the teddy bear looked mollified and he went back to his table. I grabbed the opportunity to make a run to the bar, but once I got there, I got 411 to give me the number of his clinic. Then I called it and claimed, in a panicked voice, that my dog had gotten chicken bones stuck in its throat. They promised to page the vet and have him come to the clinic at once. In my next life I'll probably come back as an evil villain, but right now I didn't care.

As I made my way back to the table – with a whiskey, to make my bar trip look real – I heard Kitten reassuring Denise that she really was okay.

She gathered the shards of glass and began to pile them into the bloody napkin. "I'm going to the ladies' room to wash this off and throw away the glass."

"I'll go with you," Denise offered.

"No!" Denise looked startled by her abrupt reply. Kitten gave a glance to her right at me and then back to Denise again. Denise's eyes widened, as if she'd finally figured something out.

"Cris," she addressed me. "Would you mind going with Cristine and seeing if they have any bandages? Randy says…" She paused and then continued wickedly, "Randy says you have a great deal of experience with bleeding wounds."

"Ooh, are you a doctor?" Felicity cooed.

I stood and gave Denise an appreciative grin at her choice of words. "Back in London I was many things," I answered Felicity evasively.

Kitten made a stop at the bar first. The bartender gave a wide-eyed look at her red-stained napkin.

"Gin. No glass, just the bottle," she said bluntly.

"Um, miss, maybe you should—"

"Give the lady the bottle, mate," I interjected, my eyes flashing green.

Without delay an unopened gin was thrust in her still-bleeding hand. She twisted the top off, threw away the glass and her bloody napkin, and took a long swallow. Then she led me out to the far corner of the parking lot, where there were the fewest cars. I waited patiently while she drank again. She was smearing blood all over the outside of the bottle, but she didn't seem to care. _Never a good idea with a vampire around, luv, even me._

"Better?" I asked when she came up for air. My lips twitched with amusement.

"Not hardly," she countered. "Look, I don't know how long my mother will keep quiet, but in case you didn't notice, she hates you. She'll call in the troops and try to have you skewered over an open flame with a silver stick. You have to leave."

"No."

"Dammit, Bones!" Her red headed temper exploded. "Are you _trying_ to get killed? One call to my boss, that's all it'll take, and believe me, my mother's probably caressing her cell phone and fantasizing about it now."

I rolled my eyes. "Sods like your boss have chased me most of my undead life, yet I'm still here while they're not. Neither your mum nor your boss scares me, Kitten. Unless you'd like to choose now for us to have our long-overdue talk, I suggest we return to the festivities. But you can forget about me leaving—or you, either, for that matter. I found you days ago. There's a reason you didn't know about that until now. You try to vanish into the smoke again and it'll be a short flight, I assure you. Plus, then we'll be having our chat under much different conditions. Like with you chained up somewhere so you can't try to sneak off again. You pick your circumstances, luv, but I have damn well waited long enough to have this out with you."

"It was you I felt outside my house the other night, wasn't it?" she asked accusingly.

A small smile touched my mouth. "So you felt me. I thought you did."

"We have to get back to the reception," was all she said, looking away.

I held out my hand. "Mind if I have a drop from your bottle first?"

She handed over the gin, careful not to let her fingers graze mine. Instead of drinking from it, however, I grasped the bottle and stared into her eyes as I licked her blood off the slick glass surface. My tongue curved around every contour of the bottle, and she watched, mesmerized. When there was not a red drop left on it, I passed it back into her shaking hand.

She went to step by me, but I grabbed her hand. She yanked, but I held tight.

"Quit that," I said mildly, pulling out a knife. Her eyes widened, but I just nicked the side of the same hand gripping hers, and then pressed my blood to her cut.

She drew back her hand. This time I let her, but I knew the swirling green in my gaze gave away that I'd been affected by touching her.

She turned and walked away quickly, and she didn't look back.

Dinner was a living hell for both Kitten _and_ myself. Felicity kept up a steady stream of suggestive chatter with me that had Kitten digging bloody crescents into her palms; I could smell them. Then Felicity would coil her hair around her fingers and lean in very close to whisper something to me. Or her hand would reach out to rest on my thigh while I spoke.

Unable to watch anymore, apparently, Kitten turned away and speared her dinner roll viciously with her knife. I glanced at her and chuckled.

"I have to go powder my nose, I'll be right back," Felicity cooed, brushing her breast deliberately by my shoulder when she bent to retrieve her handbag. I purposely didn't even flinch away to avoid it. Kitten consoled herself by giving the helpless roll a twist with her blade.

"Trying to tell me something, pet?" I asked as I observed the remains of the roll on her plate.

"Just wishful thinking," she shot back evilly.

I arched my brow before I clasped my own dinner roll between my fingers and split it down the center, buttering it with careful attention. Then I slowly ran my tongue along the crevasse until I'd licked away every drop of moisture.

"Wishful thinking," I murmured, and gave her a heated look.

She stood so hastily her chair upended beneath me. Once again, people turned to stare at the disruption. Her face burned with that lovely crimson blush I remembered so well.

"Um, a toast to the bride and groom," she improvised. "Denise, Randy, may you always remember the commitment you made to each other today. Marriage is more than the paper with your signatures, more than words recited. It's the pledge you make that come hell or high water, you will stand together and not be knocked over by what life throws at you. Today and always, I wish you strength, courage, and tenacity to overcome any obstacles that threaten your relationship. Once again, congratulations."

A smattering of polite applause sounded, with more than a few sideways glances. Randy leaned over and gave her a kiss, as did Denise, and she sat back down.

Then Randy stood and raised his glass. "I'd like to thank Cristine for strongly reminding everyone of the seriousness of marriage. Since she's usually armed, I'm not going to disagree with her."

There was genuine laughter and clapping at that statement. "But let me deviate a bit. Denise and I have known each other for just over six weeks. A very short period of time, many would say, and they would be correct. We have different backgrounds, different upbringings, and different religious beliefs. None of that matters to me. The first night I met her, I knew she was the one for me."

He paused and gave Denise a gentle stroke on her face. "The night I asked her to marry me, I had a talk with my friend Cris." Randy gestured to me. "Most of you don't know Cris. We met six months ago, and I asked him if he thought I was rushing things by proposing to a woman I'd only dated two weeks. My family had reservations, and I knew how Denise's family felt about our differences. I want to share with all of you what Cris said, because I think it bears repeating."

Randy moved to stand behind me, and Kitten's knuckles whitened on the edge of the table. Randy went on. "He said, 'Randy, mate, don't bother about how long you've known this girl if you love her. Time has no dominion over love. Love is the one thing that transcends time.'"

There were sentimental ahhs from the guests. I didn't dared to glance at Kitten, because tears coursed a slow steady trail down her cheeks, I smelled the saltiness of them. I knew if I saw her cry, wedding or no wedding, running from me or no running from me, nothing would be able to stop me from taking her in my arms.

"I would like to thank new friends and old, family and extended family, in sharing the happiest day of my life with the woman I love." Randy went on. Heartfelt applause broke out when Randy finished speaking. He gave Denise a kiss and she hugged him. Then her eyes widened a bit when she saw Kitten over her husband's shoulder.

"Cristine! You're crying. I've never seen you cry before."

Kitten spoke in a choked voice. "Denise…I'm just so happy for you. So happy for you both."

Denise and Randy were almost the last to leave. They would depart for their honeymoon two days from now, and were going back to her house tonight. I wished them well, and, in a calculated move, found the darkest spot at the country club, in the far corner of the patio, and led and all-too-willing Felicity to it.

I could still hear everything that was going on, though. I heard Kitten wish them every happiness, then, after about five minutes, I heard her start to follow the trail of energy I'd deliberately let slip.

When she found us, she stopped short. It was pitch dark, but I knew she could see us easily. Felicity's back was to her and her arms were around me as I leaned down and kissed her.

A soft sound escaped Kitten, barely a disturbance of the air, but it was a sound of pure agony. Hearing that, I lifted my eyes to stare directly at her. My gaze challenged her.

_Don't like it, luv? What are you going to do about it?_


	11. I Will Always Love You

_A/N: So, in the deleted scene, Cat has stripped down to her undies when fighting the original bunch of vamps, and that's how Bones sees her matching tattoo. In the published version, it's never mentioned. I really wanted to include him seeing it, so I came up with a way to kind of blend the two. Also, thanks to Wistar89 for reminding me the JF thinks the following song is perfect for the dance sequence._

_Whenever I'm alone with you/You make me feel like I am home again  
Whenever I'm alone with you/You make me feel like I am whole again_

Whenever I'm alone with you/You make me feel like I am young again  
Whenever I'm alone with you/You make me feel like I am fun again

However far away, I will always love you  
However long I stay, I will always love you  
Whatever words I say, I will always love you  
I will always love you

Whenever I'm alone with you/You make me feel like I am free again  
Whenever I'm alone with you

- 311

I made up a quick excuse to disentangle myself from Felicity and followed Kitten as she ran to her car. Then, flying, I followed her to a place called the GiGi Club. I was uncertain as to what she was doing there, so I hung back a bit and listened from the roof. If she'd needed assistance I would've jumped in, but she seemed to be holding her own, and against several vamps as well. I'd taken my jacket and tie off back at the country club, but while I listened, I unbuttoned my shirt at the neck. Hated those shirts; no matter what size you gave, they were always too tight.

When it seemed like things were quieting down, I made my way in through the back, determined that now would be the right time for us to have our long-overdue chat. It sounded like she was in a back room, so I could block her from leaving and we could finally, _finally_ communicate.

However, once I got to the anteroom, there was a little blonde bitch looking for a gun. A quick snap of the neck and problem solved. I made my way into the inner room. The walls were splattered with blood, and there were shriveling vamps and some vamps pulled into pieces. It looked like a scene of utter carnage, but not the worst I'd ever seen.

I stepped into the room. "You forgot one."

She whirled around, a knife in her hand, then seemed to relax as she realized who it was in there with her. "Who?"

I smiled. "The little witch who was sneaking around for a gun, but she's not doing that any longer."

"Two of these girls are still alive. Give them blood. Yours will work faster than what I have to offer."

I took the knife she handed me and sliced my palm, going to each girl and making them swallow my blood.

A ghost hovered over one of the girls. "Will she be okay?" he asked.

Gradually her pulse returned to a slow but steady rhythm as my blood healed her. After a moment, Kitten smiled. "Yeah. She will be now."

"They're not all here. There were three more of those creatures. They said they'd be back," he said.

"I'll get them," Kitten promised. "Don't worry. It's my job."

The ghost started to fade at the edges, growing fainter, until there was nothing left of him anymore.

Kitten stared in silence. Then, "Is he…gone?"

"I expect so. He accomplished what he wanted to and so he's moved on. Sometimes a few stubborn people hang on long enough to do one last thing. He must have truly loved her."

Kitten said nothing for a moment, then spat, "Why are you here? Finished with Felicity so soon? That's hardly up to your usual performance."

I raised a brow. "I had no intention of shagging Felicity. I only kissed her to prove that you care far more than you're admitting to."

"I _don't _care."

I snorted and gave another look around at the blood-smeared walls. "Right. Cool as a cucumber, you are."

"I have to call this in, you got a phone on you?"

I pulled a cell phone from my pocket and passed over, overhearing the entire conversation.

"Tate, it's Cat. I need a cleanup crew at the GiGi bar. Got a bunch of dead vamps and some victims who need medical attention and new memories. Couple of human bodies also, unfortunately."

"Didn't you go to the wedding? The GiGi bar was supposed to be with us, tomorrow."

"Are you going to berate me, or get the crew?"

"We'll be there ASAP. What number are you calling from? This isn't your cell."

"I stole someone's phone," she lied. "I'm giving it back now. Hurry up, this place is crawling with people."

She hung up without saying goodbye. I took my phone back and then lit a cigarette, inhaling deeply.

"Since when do you smoke?"

I gave her a jaded look. "Since I needed something else to do with my hands." _Think about _that_, Kitten._

"You have to leave. The guys will be here soon."

It seemed to belatedly dawn on her that she stood six feet away from me with her bridesmaid's dress pushed up around her waist. It was a straight sheath dress, so it offered no freedom of movement. Seemed like she'd just pushed it up as high as it would go to get the knives strapped to her legs. And she was streaked in blood as well, but that never turned off a vampire. It was our equivalent of whipped cream.

I took it all in, and my eyes slid over her with the intimacy of a touch. "You're exquisite, Kitten. Ravishing."

I flicked my cigarette away and went towards her, but she leapt back to the far side of the room. Something caught my eye and my eyes narrowed. I stared at her bared hip.

"You really did duplicate my tattoo. Ian told me you did, but I didn't quite believe him. Yet there it is, etched on your flesh," I said in disbelief and wonder.

"Don't touch me, Bones. Don't." Her voice quavered.

"You want me to. I see it in your eyes, and your scent betrays you." My voice was flat and hungry. "Yet I won't give you an excuse. I told you long ago, I don't come in unless invited. You'll be the first to lay hands on me, and I'm not going anywhere. You want to get rid of me? You'll have to kill me."

Kitten absorbed that, then squared her shoulders, pushed down her dress and headed for the door.

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked.

"Grabbing Miss Pink Toenails and piling her in here with the rest of them," she threw over her shoulder. "Then I'm going to wait until their friends come back, and kill the hell out of them."

I went after her. "Sounds like fun."

We were on the dance floor nearest to the bathrooms. Anyone looking to access that grisly private room would have to pass by us first. She'd objected to dancing with me, even though it was our best cover option, but I just dragged her onto the floor in much the same way I had on our first date.

"You are a _professional_ killer, aren't you?" I asked. "You can't hover around that hallway with blood spattered on you and expect to look inconspicuous." Pressed against me on the dance floor, however, no one would see it.

"Why are you here anyway? I thought you'd be busy with Felicity, what with how the two of you looked." _Jealous, luv?_

"Did seeing me kiss her bother you? I can't imagine why. Didn't you tell me in your note to move on with my life?"

She started to pull away, but I just tightened my grip. _You don't want to miss the killers, do you, Kitten?_

"They knew what I was, Bones. The men who came to the hospital that day, they knew everything from my pathology reports. And they knew about vampires. The one in charge—"

"Don?" I supplied. _I've been doing my homework, Kitten… I know more about you than you think. And how did they know all that the day you were arrested? Ever wondered that, pet?_

She looked taken aback. "Yes, Don. He said he'd been looking his whole life for someone strong enough to fight vampires who wasn't one of them. He offered me a deal. He'd relocate us, and I'd lead his team. In return he promised to leave you alone. We couldn't have all survived any other way. We would have been hunted like animals, and you know my mother would have rather died than gone with you. She'd also rather see me killed than changed into a vampire, and let's face it, that's what you would have eventually wanted me to do!"

_Un-bloody-believable_. I let out a bitter snort, twirling her a little too hard. "Is that what this whole bleedin' thing was about? You believing I'd turn you into a vampire? Bloody hell, Kitten, did it ever occur to you to _talk_ to me instead of just running off?"

"It wouldn't have mattered. You would have insisted on it eventually," she replied stubbornly. _Bloody mule headed woman…_

"You should have trusted me," I muttered. "When did I ever lie to you?"

"When have you lied to me?" she threw back at me. "How about when you kidnapped and murdered Danny Milton? You swore to me you'd never touch Danny, but I don't suppose he's off in Mexico sipping margaritas, is he?"

"First, I didn't kidnap him. Second, you made me swear not to kill, cripple, maim, dismember, blind, torture, bleed, or inflict any injury on Danny Milton. Or stand by while someone else did. You should save your concern for someone worthy; Danny gave you up like a bad habit straightaway. You know that brainwashing rot doesn't hold up under a Master vampire's eyes. At least the bugger was finally useful. He told me where you lived. Virginia. I had you narrowed down to three states, and Danny saved me some time. That's why I told Rodney to kill him fast and painless—and I didn't stay to watch."

"You bastard," she choked out.

I shrugged. "Since the day I was born."

We danced in silence for a few minutes. She kept looking around for the missing vamps, but I finally broke the silence.

"So, how long have you been dating the pet vet?" I asked snidely.

She stiffened. "None of your business."

I gave a short laugh. "Indeed? You looked like you were about to ram a stake through Felicity's heart earlier, yet you begrudge me a simple question?"

The music changed to something slower. I slid my hand lower down on her back and pressed her tighter to me.

"I wanted to ram a stake through her heart because she's a shallow bitch who pisses me off. It had nothing to do with you." _Right. And to paraphrase Ian, angels might fly out my arse._

I laughed softly into her hair. "Liar."

We dipped and swayed to the music. Suddenly I caught a scent and my nostrils flared. "Perhaps you did miss me after all," I said in a low voice, flecks of green in my eyes tinting my eyes.

She tried for blasé. "Don't get flattered; you're just a good dancer. Felicity seemed to think so, too."

"Seeing me with Felicity was the least you deserved after I had to watch that human teddy bear fawn all over you," I shot back. "Really, Kitten, what were you thinking? Your mum has bigger balls than Noah."

"His balls are fine!" she snapped, then blushed.

I snorted and twirled her before yanking her close. "Right. No wonder you're so hot around me. I reckon you've had a better time shagging yourself than him. Must be frustrating."

Her scent changed to anger, and she hitched a leg up, curling it around my hip, giving it a hard circular twist against me that had my gaze turning flat green before I could think.

"Looks like I'm not the only one who's frustrated, Mr. Optical Hard-on. Might want to tone your eyes down. People will notice." _Bugger. It's just being so close to her after so long… that and her deliberately baiting me. That's it. Her deliberately baiting. Right._

I closed my eyes, then I clasped my hands around her waist and bent until my mouth touched her ear.

"Careful, luv. I might be angry with you, but that doesn't mean I don't still want you. So if you do that again, I'll shag you right here, right now, and sod anyone who wants to watch." _Do it again, do it again, do it again…_

I sent my blood south to emphasize that I wasn't making an idle threat. Her scent changed again. I took in a long breath.

"Oh, Kitten…" I said, my voice deep. "Now you're just daring me, aren't you?"

She didn't get a chance to reply, because suddenly the energy in the room shifted. I tensed and my eyes snapped open, now hard brown orbs.

"They're here."


	12. Dream Awake

_A/N: Special thanks to Wistar89 for her song suggestion!_

_Saw you alone in the shade of the night/a distant reflection I caught in my eye  
Is this real/'cause I feel like you're the one  
My heart's beatin' faster/you're taking my hand  
you're drawing my closer/as we start to dance  
Amor, I feel lost in your smile/many times but not this way before_

_Won't you stay/and hold me in your arms forever?/don't want this night to fade away_

_I thought my eyes were closed but I, I'm in a dream awake, I'm in a dream awake.  
We shine brighter than the stars together/this night'll never turn to day  
I thought my eyes were closed but I, I'm in a dream awake, I'm in a dream awake._

_A moment of magic I just cannot place/was i asleep the first time we embraced_  
_Tell me, have we, been here before?/now that I got you, I wont let you go._  
_Won't wake up tomorrow and find I'm alone/now you're here_  
_It's so clear/my dreams become reality._

_Won't you stay/and hold me in your arms forever_

_Don't want this night to fade away/I thought my eyes were closed but  
I, __I'm in a dream awake, I'm in a dream awake._  
_We shine brighter than the stars together/this night'll never turn to day_  
_I thought my eyes were closed but I, I'm in a dream awake, I'm in a dream awake._

_Is my imagination running wild/better pinch myself to see if I'm right_  
_Is this just a fantasy or am I just make believin'/I'm awake, why am I dreaming?_

_Won't you stay/and hold me in your arms forever_  
_Don't want this night to fade away_  
_I thought my eyes were closed but I, I'm in a dream awake, I'm in a dream awake._  
_We shine brighter than the stars together/this night'll never turn to day_  
_I thought my eyes were closed but I, I'm in a dream awake, I'm in a dream awake._

_Won't you hold me in your arms forever?/dream awake, dream awake_  
_But I/Oh/I'm gonna shine, shine, shine_  
_Stars together/dream awake_  
_Dream awake._

- Lauren Evans

The other vampires were two men and a woman. The bloodlust was pouring off of them in waves – they didn't come to dance, they'd come to dine – skip the wine.

Then they split up, and Kitten groaned, low. "I'm going to have to call in my team," she whispered to me. "Have the perimeter secured."

I snorted. "Right. Your toy soldiers are well over an hour away, and I can feel the bloodlust pouring off these sods. They're going to feed soon. You wait, and someone will die."

She seemed to consider this. "Got any ideas?" she asked.

I smiled. "I do."

I picked a girl near to us and grabbed her, yanking her close. My hands cupped her head as I brought our faces next to each other, close enough to kiss. My eyes glowed, partially concealed by my hands. It only took a moment, then my eyes returned to their normal brown, and she stared ahead with a very obedient expression.

"Go to the ladies' room," I told her, "and switch your dress with this woman."

Kitten was shaking her head in admiration when it my plan – part of it, anyway - dawned on her. "You could have done that before; then we wouldn't have needed to dance together!"

I smiled again, a Cheshire Cat smile. Appropriate, given the company I was in. "So I could have."

She shot me a single glare before leading the girl into the loo. When she came out, I grinned to myself. I hadn't just picked any girl at random – this girl's dress was a little tighter and a lot smuttier than Kitten's bridesmaid's dress. It was also backless, so she had to take off her bra. Her breasts bulged out from the low-scooped neckline. Just like old times.

Then, my dastardly little plan backfired on me. Just like old times, Kitten went up to the vampire that looked the closest to taking his companion on a one-way stroll, and she didn't even bother with small talk. She just elbowed the nearest girl aside and slapped her knickers on his chest.

"As soon as I saw you," she purred, "I knew I wouldn't be needing these." That got his attention straight off. He glanced down at her panties, then put them to his nose and took in a deep breath, bloody sod. I ground my teeth.

"Never mind," he told the girl Kitten had shoved aside.

Kitten linked her arm in his, being sure to rub her breast against him. Bloody hell, it was like karma was already paying me back for my little stunts with Felicity at the wedding.

"You're not the conversationalist type, I hope?" she asked. In answer, he began propelling her through the throngs of people. I stayed out of sight and tried not to kill the both of them in a huff of outrage.

I listened as Kitten took down two of the vamps inside, a male and the female. The other male, no doubt catching the scent of vamp blood and equating it with an excellent time to leave, went streaking out the front door.

"Kitten, outside!"

I heard Kitten running behind me, jumping a fence and ripping her borrowed dress. Then I heard her dash across a busy street in a lively version of the game Frogger.

She had followed us, by sound, halfway through an empty soccer field when she finally saw us and gave a last burst of speed, streaking into a construction site just as I twisted my knife in the sod's chest. She came to a halt by me as I gave the body a final kick and then turned to face her.

"You and I need to talk, Kitten."

"Now?" she asked in disbelief, gesturing to the dead vampire near my feet.

"It's not like he's going anywhere, so yeah. Now."

Immediately she began to back away. I watched her edge backward, and my eyes narrowed. "Don't you move another step," I threatened.

"I—I have to go back to the club, my team's on the way…" she hedged.

"Do you still love me?" I asked bluntly.

The question almost made her fumble in her Ferragamos. She looked away, biting her lip, and I knew I wasn't going to like the answer. And I also knew what I was going to have to do to get the _real_ answer out of her.

"No." Her answer came as she stared down at her feet.

She shuffled from foot to foot for a while, then peeked at me. I just stared at her, hard, trying to work out exactly how much of that answer was real and how much was just her yet again trying to protect me, thinking I couldn't protect myself.

"If you don't love me, then why didn't you kill Ian? You had a knife in his heart. All you had to do was twist. Your job is to kill vampires, after all, but you let him live. It was if you were sending me a bloomin' valentine."

"Sentimentality." She grasped at straws. "For old time's sake."

My mouth twisted into a parody of a smile. "Well, luv, as the saying goes, no good deed goes unpunished. You should have killed him, because now he's looking for you. You made quite an impression. While I would never force you to do anything against your will, Ian wants to find you to do just that."

"What are you talking about?"

I gave a tight smile that didn't reach my eyes. "He's enamored, of course. Ian's a collector of rare things, and there's no one rarer than you, my beautiful half-breed. You're in danger. Ian doesn't know I've found you, but he'll track you himself soon enough." _Exactly_. My _beautiful half-breed._

She seemed to mull this over, and then shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I beat Ian before and I can do it again."

"Not the way he'll play it," I said harshly. "I know my sire. Ian won't just come at you one night and try to take you on in a fair fight. He'll grab everyone you love first and then strike a deal with you, his terms. Believe me, you won't like them. Now, your one advantage is me. Because of your clever little description of our relationship, Ian believes you hate me and vice versa. Nice touch, that. Especially the money part. Still want a check?"

"I'll write _you_ one if you leave," she muttered.

I ignored that. "Furthermore, you still have a price on your head. I told you in the loo that I'd been offered contracts on you before that I traced to their source, but I don't know who's behind this last one. He or she is being very discreet. So you have another threat hanging over you that's even more dangerous than Ian, and like it or not, you're going to need my help."

"Vampires and ghouls come after me all the time," she shrugged. "If I need help, I have my team."

"Humans?" I scorned. "The only way they'll be able to protect you is if they incapacitate the hitter by making him eat too much!"

"You are so arrogant." She fumed.

I came closer until only a few feet separated us. "I'm powerful. More than you're aware of. That is truth, not arrogance. Every member of your team combined couldn't protect you as well as I can, and you know it. Now isn't the time for your stubborn insistence on going everything alone, Kitten. Whether you want my help or not, you're getting it."

"Dammit, Bones, how many times do I have to tell you that the biggest way you could help is to _leave_? I appreciate the warning about Ian, but if you stay around me, you're the one who'll be in danger. Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself."

My brow shot up. "And right back at you, pet. I'm not the least bit afraid of your boss or your band of merry men. I told you earlier. You want to get rid of me? Then you'll have to kill me."

"Then I'll leave," she said in a panic. "I ran away once; I can do it again!"

She didn't even see me move. I was so quick, I had her gripped in my arms with her head tilted back before she could blink. My fangs slid easily, so easily, into her neck. _Perfect. Sweet, spicy and a little tangy – my Kitten._

She gave a gasp of surprise, then tilted her head back even further in an invitation I took her up on. I tightened my arms around her and licked her neck before slowly sliding my fangs in again. A groan came out of her mouth that switched me on incredibly.

I tightened my arms around her again, tilting her back further, and licked her neck once more before sinking my teeth in again. She jerked in pleasure even though her fists thumped on my back. She kept making little ecstatic noises, until she realized she could stop me if she really wanted to.

She still had a silver knife in her hand, and I'd left her arms free while one of mine supported her and the other was tangled in her hair. I pulled back for an instant, long enough for her drowsy eyes to register the drops of her blood staining my mouth, then I slowly, deliberately, bent to her neck again. The subsequent long, deep suction weakened her knees and sent a rapturous shudder throughout her. With what was probably her last conscious thought, I felt her let the knife slide from her hand as she passed out in my arms.


	13. Snow White Queen

_A/N: I apologize for the longer time in between posting chapters this time, but I've been in a funk and the creative muse left me. I'm not entirely sure it's back, but I know some of you hated the cliffhanger of the last chapter, so I'll do my best!_

_Stoplight, lock the door/Don't look back.  
Undress in the dark/And hide from you, all of you._

_You'll never know the way your words have haunted me._  
_I can't believe you'd ask these things of me/You don't know me._

_You belong to me, my snow white queen._  
_There's nowhere to run, so let's just get it over._  
_Soon I know you'll see, you're just like me._  
_Don't scream anymore my love, 'cause all I want is you._

_Wake up in a dream/Frozen fear._  
_All your hands on me/I can't scream/I can't scream._

_I can't escape the twisted way you think of me._  
_I feel you in my dreams and I don't sleep, I don't sleep._

_You belong to me, my snow white queen._  
_There's nowhere to run, so let's just get it over._  
_Soon I know you'll see, you're just like me._  
_Don't scream anymore my love, 'cause all I want is you_

_I can't save your life/Though nothing I bleed for is more tormenting._  
_I'm losing my mind and you just stand there and stare as my world divides._

_You belong to me, my snow white queen._  
_There's nowhere to run, so let's just get it over._  
_Soon I know you'll see, you're just like me._  
_Don't scream anymore my love, 'cause all I want is you._

- Evanescence

I caught Kitten just as she passed out and took a small moment to simply savor the fact that she was back in my arms again. It just felt _right_, like a piece of me clicked into place that had been missing.

I had a pretty good idea that she didn't have her car keys on her, knowing she wasn't wearing anything under her traded dress – a thought which switched me on terribly, but one that I couldn't focus on at the moment – so simple process of elimination led me to deduce that they must still be in her Volvo. I swung her up in my arms, shot us up into the sky and headed back to the GiGi club.

I found her Volvo parked in the back, in a piece of luck, and, holding her slumped over one arm, found the handbag she'd had at the wedding tucked under the front seat with the keys inside. I laid her across the rear seats and drove us to the house I was renting.

Once there, I swung her back up into my arms and carried her into my bedroom. I took the pins out of her hair, releasing it from the updo she'd worn at the wedding, tucked her into bed, kicked off my shoes and slid under the duvet behind her. Hours passed. I listened with a smile as she snored and burrowed her way further and further into the covers.

I picked up a lock of her now brown hair and slid the strand through my fingers. The color was wrong, but it still felt the same – soft and silky. As she took more and more of the blanket, I curled my body tighter to hers, relishing her warmth. I stroked her arms, her back, her hip – the same hip that now bore an identical tattoo to mine. Even though it was still a bit unbelievable to me that she'd done it, it just confirmed to me what I already suspected – she hadn't stopped loving me any more than I'd stopped loving her. She may have acted blasé and denied it, but the proof was inked permanently onto her flesh.

As I felt her start to stir, I snuggled her tighter in my arms. She seemed drowsy for a few moments until she looked down and saw my arms next to hers – hers almost as pale as mine.

"Where are we?"

"In the house I'm renting, in Richmond."

"How long have I been out?"

"Four hours, give or take. Long enough for you to steal all the covers. I've been listening to you snore and watching you cocoon into the bedspread, and I realized I've missed this the most. Holding you while you sleep."

She sat up, feeling her throat. Did she really think I'd leave her with marks? As much as I wanted to mark her as mine, I had too much love and respect for her than that. No, I'd closed them with a drop of my blood. Besides, I _had_ marked her as mine. My scent was all over her.

"You bit me," she said accusingly, but with a lot less anger than I expected. I had been waiting for her famous red headed temper to rear its flaming head.

"Yes," I said simply. She didn't seem too upset, so I didn't even bother to sit up, but stayed relaxed on the pillows.

"Why?"

"Many reasons. Do you want me to list them all?"

"Yeah," she said testily.

"Primarily to prove a point," I said, realizing that casual chat was over and finally sitting up. "You could have killed me. By rights, you _should_ have killed me. You had a vampire sucking the lifeblood out of you and a silver knife in your hand. Only a fool wouldn't have wielded that blade…or someone who cares far more than she's admitting to."

"You bastard, you bit me to test me?" she burst out, then got out of bed and staggered. "Bet you'd have been pretty fucking sorry if I would have sliced up your heart. How could you be so stupid; you could have gotten killed!"

"And so could you," I shot right back. "Frankly after years of wondering how you felt about me, it was worth risking my life to find out. Admit it, Kitten. You haven't gotten over me any more than I've gotten over you, and all your denial, lies, or the moron you're dating won't change that."

She looked away for a long moment. "It doesn't matter," she said at last, still not looking at me. "It can't work between us, Bones. Nothing can change what you are, and I _won't_ change what I am."

"Answer me this, Kitten. When it is just you and me, no one else, does it bother you that I'm not human? I know what the rest of them think—your mother, your work, your friends, but do _you_ care that I'm a vampire?"

She answered almost immediately, turning back and looking me in the eyes. "No. I don't care."

I closed my eyes for a second. Then I opened them and stared at her with a blistering gaze. "I know you left me because you thought you had to protect me, that I couldn't handle the obstacles before us. So you tried to get on with your life because you believed it would never work between us. But you see, I couldn't get on with my life because I knew we _could_ work. I've been looking for you every day since you left me, Kitten, and I'm sick of being without you. You've had your shot at things, now let me have mine."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about trusting me, which is what you should have done over four years ago. I'm strong enough to handle whatever your job or your mum could throw at me. You still care about me, and I certainly haven't given up on you. We can beat the odds against us, if you'd give us a chance to."

"Even if you take out my job and my mother, we're still doomed, Bones. You're a vampire. I meant it when I said I didn't care, but you will! What are you going to do when I grow old, just hand me some Ben-Gay for my arthritis? You'll want me to change. You'll resent me when I refuse, and it will destroy us."

I gave her an unblinking stare. "For the record: I will never force you to become a vampire. I won't pressure you, coerce you, trick you, or guilt you. Is that clear enough?"

"So you're fine with me getting wrinkled, gray, decrepit, and then dead?" she asked harshly. "Is that what you're saying?"

Oh, bollocks. I'd hoped never to have to tell her this. I'd hoped she'd figure it out on her own eventually, but that clearly hadn't happened yet.

"Kitten, sit down."

"No. You tell me. What don't I know? Am I dying or something?"

I went over and stood in front of her. "Haven't you ever wondered how long you would live? Ever truly pondered it?"

"No." She gave a bitter laugh. "I thought I would get killed pretty quick with my job."

"Think past that," I urged. I heard her heart begin to pound. "You're half vampire. You've never been sick, your body heals at an inhuman rate, and you can't catch any of the diseases that afflict the living population. Even poisons or drugs need to be administered in massive doses before they affect you, so _what makes you think you would only live to an average age?"_

Her jaw opened as if to argue, then hung loosely. I got the impression from the expression on her face, so similar to the one she wore when she first saw me at the wedding, that this was one her rare moments of speechlessness. It didn't last long.

"You're trying to trick me. I have a heartbeat, I breathe, get my period, shave my legs…I'm alive. I had a childhood!" she stammered.

"You told me once your differences emerged most notably in puberty. Probably it was the hormonal surge, the same thing which can trigger congenital defects in humans that increased your nosferatu traits, and they've grown ever since. Your pulse and breathing only make you easier to kill, but you're not human. You never have been. You just mimic them better than vampires do."

"Liar!" she shouted.

Unfazed, I went on. "Your skin hasn't aged a day since you left me. Not one line, not one furrow. Granted, you're only twenty-seven and wouldn't be showing most signs of it until later, but still. There should be some difference in the pores, the texture…" I traced a finger down her cheek. "But there's not. Then there's the blood."

She staggered a bit again. "What blood?"

"Mine. Didn't have a chance to tell you this before, because you left two days later. Probably doesn't make a difference in the big picture, but here it is. The night we rescued your mum, you drank my blood. Not just a few drops for healing, but a good two pints. That alone would add fifty years to a normal human's lifespan. To yours, who knows? Double, easily."

She went to slap me, but I grabbed her hand before it reached my cheek. "You bastard! You didn't tell me that. You didn't _warn_ me!"

"Would it have changed your decision? You thought we were both going to die that night, if you recall, not to mention you would have done anything to save your mum. And truthfully, you could live to be as old as I am without it. Don't take my word for it. Go see your boss. Look him in the eye and ask what he already knows. All the pathology they must have done on you over the years, I'm _damn_ sure he knows. That's why I don't have to pressure you into becoming a vampire. With your mixed heritage and the occasional consumption of my blood, you'll live as long as you want to, just as you are."

Unseeingly, she walked toward the door. I stopped her before she got there. "Where do you think you're going?"

She shoved at me. "Out. I can't look at you right now."

I didn't budge. "You're in no condition to drive."

She let out another bitter laugh. "Why don't you just open a vein for me, then? What's another fifty years, right?"

I reached out to steady her, but she jerked away from me. "Don't touch me."

Her reaction stung, but outwardly I just dropped my hand. "Fine. Where do you want to go? I'll drive you."

"Take me home."

I held the door open for her. "After you."

She seemed completely numb and lost in her own thoughts on the drive to her house. I drove her Volvo back, as I could easily fly back to the country club to retrieve my Ducati. She didn't even seem to realize that I knew the way to her house. When we got there, I walked her to the front door, unlocked it and handed her the keys.

"I'll see you tomorrow night," I called as she went inside. She didn't answer, she just shut the door.


	14. The Gambler

_A/N: Tee hee hee…  
_

_On a warm summer's evenin' on a train bound for nowhere,  
I met up with the gambler; we were both too tired to sleep.  
So we took turns a starin' out the window at the darkness  
'Til boredom overtook us, and he began to speak._

_He said, "Son, I've made my life out of readin' people's faces,_  
_And knowin' what their cards were by the way they held their eyes._  
_So if you don't mind my sayin', I can see you're out of aces._  
_For a taste of your whiskey I'll give you some advice."_

_So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow._  
_Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light._  
_And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression._  
_Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy, ya gotta learn to play it right._

_You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,_  
_Know when to walk away and know when to run._  
_You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table._  
_There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done._

_Now Ev'ry gambler knows that the secret to survivin'_  
_Is knowin' what to throw away and knowing what to keep._  
_'Cause ev'ry hand's a winner and ev'ry hand's a loser,_  
_And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep."_

_So when he'd finished speakin', he turned back towards the window,_  
_Crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep._  
_And somewhere in the darkness the gambler, he broke even._  
_But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep._

_You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,_  
_Know when to walk away and know when to run._  
_You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table._  
_There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done._

- Kenny Rogers

I did go and retrieve my bike, but I went straight back to Kitten's to guarantee she didn't try to make good on her threat of pulling another vanishing act. Frankly, after holding her in my arms last night, I didn't think my sanity could take another four years of searching for her _again_.

I pulled my bike into the same spot, out of sight of the road, and watched from the same spot. I could easily see, from the shapes through the blinds and spots of open curtains, Kitten pacing around and around the house, up and down the stairs, again and again. Finally, after hours of this she seemed to come to some kind of decision, grabbed her keys and left.

_Hell no_ was I not following. So, far enough back for even her not to notice, I tracked her as she went to what looked like a military base. As she was waved through several security gates with the laxity that comes from long familiarity, I noted that there was an airstrip with plane on the tarmac. I drove over there and idled the biked with the kickstand down so I could see both the tarmac and the gate she'd entered. She wasn't leaving that facility, in any way, without me knowing it. If I had to stop a plane, so be it. Wouldn't be the first time I'd stopped a plane from taking off, although for a very different reason.

She was in there some time, enough to start to alarm me. But after a long while, a very long while it seemed, I saw her black Volvo driving out the gates. Okay, not flying the coop, literally, then. Let's just see what she was up to next.

I followed her then to a very ordinary looking house not all that far from mine. I was a bit clueless as to who lived there until, when she headed to the front porch to knock, something caught my eye. A doormat sat in front of the door, saying "Please Wipe Your Paws," with overlarge paw prints on it and a ridiculous drawing of a dog and a cat. The human teddy bear's house, then. _Wanker_.

She knocked and he and his floppy hair opened the door. An enormous grin split his face as he saw her and she gave him a tense one back. He let her in and every single sense I had went on alert. If I heard any more than a hug go on between them, I'd rip the roof off the place and snap him like a twig.

I heard him go to hug her, in fact, but she stopped him. It felt like my whole body clenched. Had she decided, in all her pacing, that she preferred him to me? It didn't seem likely, but then anything was possible. I'd seen enough in my days to know that. In fact, once you meet a half-breed, you _know_ anything is possible.

I heard her murmur a confession that she had let things go on too long, and she didn't want to see him anymore. I relaxed – but only a bit. He tried to persuade her otherwise but she was firm and left, heading back in the direction of her house. Crikey, was I glad for that. It would've been a shame to have to kill him, as he didn't seem to be a bad person, he just made the accidental mistake of trying to be with someone very much already spoken for – by me. But if he'd even kissed her on the cheek I might've lost the – at that point - very tenuous hold I had on my control.

Satisfied she'd at least been considering the concept of giving us another go at things, I took the time to head back to my house to shower and change. I was still wearing my clothes from the wedding and by this point I had been up for over 24 hours, but I felt energized in a way I hadn't felt in years.

Clean and neat again, I went back to her house. I slipped the lock on the front door – _good on her, trying to be safe_ – and found her in the kitchen facing the microwave, waiting for something that smelled abominable to finish cooking.

"It's polite to knock," she said without turning around. "My front door's not broken, you know."

"Yes, but this is more dramatic, don't you agree?"

Her questionable entrée done, she took it out of the microwave and sat down at the kitchen table. I sat across from her, watching her and trying to gauge her mood. All the signs I'd seen that day had been positive, but she wasn't exactly welcoming me with open arms. Her next statement just underlined that fact.

"I'm not bothering to offer you any," she said offhandedly. "My neck and I both know you already ate."

Mentally I gave a huge sigh and I frowned. "I told you that wasn't about feeding."

"No, it was about you making your point. Next time, maybe use something other than my jugular as your Exhibit A?"

"It wasn't your jugular. That would have made you pass out too quickly, and I wanted you to have time to make your decision to kill me or not," I replied, holding her eyes. "So I bit around your jugular. That's why it took longer…and why I could enjoy drawing your blood into me instead of just swallowing a gushing arterial flow."

I had enjoyed remembering biting her, and her reaction to being bitten, and I knew my eyes were filling with green. She looked up from her little meal in a box, saw my eyes, and paused from chewing. She looked back down quickly and said, "So, you're hell-bent on not going away until this danger with Ian has passed and you've neutralized whoever's waving a check around for my corpse, right?"

I nodded. "That's right."

"And you probably followed me earlier when I went into work, just waiting to see if I'd try to fly the coop?", she asked, finally choking down her bite.

I gave what I hoped was a casual shrug. "Let's just say no plane would have made it off the ground there today."

Her gaze hardened. "Then I suppose you followed me to Noah's afterward, and eavesdropped on that as well?"

I leaned across the table towards her and answered with cold, hard honesty. "I normally would never harm someone innocent, but I admit to a certain lack of rationality when it comes to you. You saved that man's life by breaking up with him today, because if I'd have listened to anything else going on at his house, I would have snapped him in half."

"You would have tried," She gritted out. "Noah doesn't believe in vampires, ghouls, or anything more supernatural than Santa Claus. You'd better not hurt him."

"Kitten, if I intended to kill Noah, I'd have done it before you even knew I was in town. But you could hardly expect me to twiddle my thumbs and listen to you shag him. Remember your response last night when I kissed Felicity?"

"Fine," she finally acknowledged. "We both still have feelings for each other. You think it can work despite my job and my mother's virulent hatred of vampires. Since you're refusing to leave anyway because of Ian and the contract out on me…"

Oh, win-the-lottery, cure-for-cancer _brilliant_. I smiled. "Are you waving the white flag?"

"Not so fast. I'm saying we can take things slow. See if it blows up in our faces. I'm not saying declare eternal love for each other while I fall back with my legs open."

I just beamed at her. "There are alternate positions."

She took a deep breath. "Take it or leave it."

Anything she wanted, any rules or conditions, I'd do. I'd been through this before and broken down her barriers in time. If that's what it took to win her back to my side again, I'd do it. My answer was immediate. "Done."

She blinked at how fast my answer was. "Okay."

We stared at each other for a moment, having reached an accord but neither of us being sure how to seal the deal, as it were. I was just considering kissing her on the cheek, for the added bonus of being able to smell her so close to me again, when a sound caught my ear and I mentally groaned. _Bollocks_. Fate, could you not let me have, say, five minutes to enjoy our new agreement? I sighed.

"Kitten…your resolve is about to be put to the test sooner than you expected."

"What are you talking about?"

I stood up. "Your mum's here."


	15. Heavy Cross

_A/N: I'm just going to ask a little favor here. I have a number of followers and readers who have favorite'ed this story, and I am always excited when I get the notifications. But I only get, on average, about 3 reviews each chapter from a few loyal (and much appreciated) readers. I can't stress this enough; reviews are writers' crack. It's what keeps us going, and motivates us to write faster. So I humbly ask that, if you like the story and you like a chapter, take a sec to leave a review. I look out for them each time I post, check my email for them, and I treasure every one. I write for my readers, and I would love to hear from you. Even a bad review is better than no review at all. So that's my favor for Valentine's Day: leave me Valentines in the form of reviews! Xoxo HT_

_It's a cruel, cruel world to face on your own/A heavy cross to carry along _

_The lights are on but everyone's gone/And it's cruel  
It's a funny way to make ends meet/When the lights are out on every street _

_It feels alright but never complete/Without joy  
I checked you/If it's already been done, undo it _

_It takes two/It's up to me and you to prove it  
On the rainy nights, even the coldest days/You're moments ago but seconds away _

_The principal of nature, it's true but it's a cruel world  
We can play it safe or play it cool/Follow the leader or make up all the rules _

_Whatever you want, the choice is yours, so choose  
I checked you/if it's already been done, undo it _

_It takes two/It's up to me and you to prove it  
I trust you/It's already been done, undo it _

_It takes two/It's up to me and you to prove it  
I checked you/If it's already been done, undo it _

_It takes two/It's up to me and you to prove it  
I trust you_

- Gossip

"OH SHIT!"

Kitten leapt up from the table and tripped over her chair, landing in an ungainly heap on the floor. I merely stepped over her and went into the living room, sitting on the couch.

"Er, what are you doing?"

"Staying right here. You just agreed to give us a chance, and I refuse to be shoved into a closet this time. You're going to have to come out of the coffin with your mum about me. I should have forced this issue before. Instead, she found out about our relationship only after vampires murdered her parents in front of her. Little wonder she took it poorly."

"Took it poorly?" She screeched. I tried not to wince. "She tried to have you killed!"

A loud knock pounded on the door. Let the games begin. I raised a brow in question. "Will you get it, or shall I?"

"Just a second, Mom!" Kitten yelled. Then she dug around in her bar area and emerged with a bottle of gin. If she needed gin before we even opened the damned door, this promised to be an interesting evening.

"She'll go straight to Don," she muttered.

"Let her," I responded. "I'm staying."

She gave me a dark look before going to the door. Looked like we weren't going to slowly pace ourselves into a relationship, we were doing cannonballs into deep water.

Kitten opened the door and before she could even open her mouth, Justina started in.

"—called Noah's cell earlier looking for you, and he told me you broke up with him! Don't think I don't know why, Catherine, and I'm here to tell you that it will stop. This instant. You threw away that piece of murdering trash years ago, and you will do it again! I will not sit back and watch you turn into the same kind of hell demon that spawned you…"

She saw me calmly sitting on the divan, amused by her rant, and her voice trailed off into a hiss.

"Hallo, Justina," I drawled out. "Lovely to see you again. Won't you have a seat?" For good measure, I patted the seat next to me.

Justina went from normal to tomato red in seconds. Kitten closed the door and took a long swallow of gin.

Justina turned on her in a rage. "For God's sake, Catherine! What is wrong with you? Did he put you under a spell again?"

I couldn't help it; I started laughing. I rose from the sofa and made my way towards Justina, noticing that she stepped back several paces. "If anyone's under a spell, Justina, it's me. Your daughter put one on me five years ago, and I haven't broken free of it yet. Oh, and you'll be delighted to know, we've decided to resume our relationship. Don't bother with congratulations—trust me, your expression is congratulations enough."

Kitten took another swig, watching us back and forth like a tennis match.

Justina's tone went from angry was acid. "I thought you'd gotten over your whoring when you left him, Catherine, but it seems you only postponed it."

Alright, enough was bloody _enough_. It was one thing to insult me, I didn't care, but I would _not_ stand by and let her verbally eviscerate her own daughter. My face turned to stone with my wrath, and it was clear in my tone as I shot out a warning. "Don't you _ever_ speak to her that way again. You can call me any name you like and more, but I will _not_ stand by while you slander her out of your own ignorance."

Justina backed up another step, and her face changed. She finally realized she'd have to contend directly with me and not just through Kitten. "Are you going to just stand there and let him threaten me?" she demanded of her next, switching tactics. "I suppose you'd just sit back and let him suck the life out of me, too?"

"Oh stuff it, Mom," Kitten barked. "He wouldn't hurt you, which is a damn sight more than you'd do to him given the chance. Excuse me if I don't defend you when you're pissed that he doesn't want you calling me nasty names. Must be that flaw in my character."

Justina shook a finger at Kitten. "Blood will out, my father always said, and he was right! Look at you! You have debased yourself, leaving a good man for a filthy animal, and a thing not even an animal! Lower!"

"I'm standing right here, Justina, and you'd better get used to it. You want to call me ananimal? Turn your eyes this way then." I moved in front of Kitten until Justina either had to look at me or look away.

To her credit, she didn't back down. She fixed her attention on me for the first time, looking straight in my hard expression. She was a lot of things, trouble chiefly among them, but a coward wasn't one of them.

"You. What's your name again?"

She knew damn well what my name was, but I'd play along with her little game. "It's Bones. Can't say it's a pleasure to be properly introduced, but it's about time, don't you agree?"

I could feel Kitten, slightly to the side of my shoulder, still watching us. Justina let her belittling gaze take me in from top to bottom, and finally she gave a dismissive shrug.

"I don't agree, in fact. Well. Aren't you pretty." The compliment was ugly from her lips. "Her father was pretty also, just gorgeous. Of course you should know—she looks just like him. Sometimes I could barely stand to look at her for their resemblance."

Oh, _bollocks!_ What kind of mother says that in front of her child? I felt another stab of pain for the lonely girl Kitten must have been, shunned by her peers and her own mother. No wonder she went out killing vampires. She was trying desperately to get her mother to accept her. That insult demanded a torrent of curses, but I kept my temper in check with difficulty and managed to answer her calmly.

"She might look like him; I can't say," I replied steadily. "Never met the bloke. But let me assure you, she has a great deal of you in her. Stubbornness, for one thing. Courage. A nasty temper when she's upset. She can also hold a grudge quite well, but you've got her beat there. Over twenty-seven years later, you're still punishing her for what happened to you."

That made her advance towards me until she pointed a finger an inch from my chest. "How dare you! You have the nerve to throw up to me what one of your kind did, what you have no doubt done yourself, to my very face, you dirty, murdering fiend!"

If she wanted to go that way, she certainly wasn't going to cow me. I stepped right up to her also until we were toe to toe. "If I were merely a murdering fiend, then I would have punched your ticket years ago. Would have made _my_ life a measure easier, I assure you. You had her in shambles when those wolves came with their greedy little offer, and we all know why she took it, don't we? It doesn't bother you a bit that she's been as miserable as I've been these past years, or that she's had more near-death experiences than bloody Houdini. No, you sit back on your satisfaction that she's out killing vampires instead of shagging one! Well, Justina, I hope you enjoyed your interlude, because it's over. I'm back and I'm staying."

Justina gave Kitten a distraught look over my shoulder. "Catherine! You can't mean to stay with this creature! He'll take your soul, he'll change you—"

"My soul is mine and God's, Mom. Bones couldn't take it if he tried." Kitten moved out from behind me to face her and took in a deep breath. "But I'm not going to let you or anyone else decide what I do with my personal life anymore. You don't have to like Bones. Hell, you can hate his guts for all I care, but as long as I'm with him, you _will _have to tolerate him. So will Don and the others, or…or I'll leave and never come back." I was so bloody proud of her for that.

Justina just blankly regarded her, passing her gaze over each of us in turn. Then a gleam appeared in her eye. Kitten laughed bitterly.

"Just try it, Mom. Try to call my work and have him killed. You saw what he did to them years ago on the highway, and that's when he wasn't even mad! Furthermore, if anyone comes for him, I'll kill them myself. No matter who it is." She gave her mum a hard look. "Then afterward, Bones and I will disappear. Permanently. You really want that? After all, if I stay here with you and them, I have much less of a chance to want to change into a vampire. Take me away from all of my human support and…well, you never know."

She was shamelessly playing Justina, but she'd earned that. My lips twitched.

"Look at the bright side," I urged her devilishly. "If you let us be, she could grow tired of me in time. But forcing us to run gives me few other alternatives…"

"Like I'd believe anything you'd say," Justina shot back. "It would be better for everyone if you'd just stake yourself and die for good. If you really loved her, you'd do that."

Oh, for fuck's sake. Time to take the gloves off. I gave her a jaded look and then let rip. "You know what your problem is, Justina? You're in desperate need of a good shag."

Kitten snorted with laughter but took a gulp of gin to cover it.

Justina let out an outraged huff that I ignored. "Not that I'm offering you one myself, mind. My days as a whore ended back in the seventeen hundreds. But I have a friend who owes me a favor and he could be persuaded to…"

Suddenly I became aware of choking sounds. "Kitten, are you all right?"

Justina was completely oblivious. "Filthy, degenerate, molesting _sodomite_—"

"Isn't this a proper flashback to her childhood? You're more concerned with yourself than your daughter, bloody woman; can't you see she's choking?"

I pounded on Kitten's back as she coughed get the gin out of her windpipe. Her eyes began watering profusely and she choked a bit more as liquid came up, but she started breathing again.

Reassured, I picked up where her mum and I had left off. "Sodomite's incorrect, Justina. Women were my clients, not men. Just wanted to clear that up; I'd hate to have you think something false of me. 'Course, if you don't trust my recommendation for a shag, I reckon your daughter's friend Juan might be up for the arduous task of—"

"That's it!" she shrieked, snatching the front door open.

"Come back soon," I called after her with a grin as she slammed the door behind her hard enough to shake the windows.

"She'll go straight to Don," Kitten choked out hoarsely.

I just kept grinning. I had won round one. "No she won't. She's riled, but she's crafty. It threw her a good one to see you stand up to her. She'll stew for a while, and then wait for an opportunity. Despite whatever she's told you, she'll never risk you leaving her. She has no one else, and she knows it."

Kitten looked dubious. "You should still watch your back. They could send a team after you."

I laughed. "To what end? It would take a small army to corner me, and I'd hear that coming. Don't fret, luv. I'm not so easy to kill. Now, do you want to wear that? Or do you want to put something else on?"

"For what?" she asked suspiciously.

"I'm taking you out to dinner," I replied jauntily, still on a high from besting Justina. "That _is_ a traditional dating activity, isn't it? Besides, your previous entrée is cold, and it looked none too appetizing when it was hot."

"But what if—" she began, then stopped.

I knew what she'd been about to say - but what if we're seen together? I waited for her to come to a decision. She made the right one. "I'll go change; wait for me."

I gave her an ironic smile. "I'm rather used to that."


	16. Goodnight Tonight

_A/N: This is mostly original material, since Cat just mentions that they spend the next 3 days going out, but doesn't give any details. To Grace, the reviewer who said she pictured Bones' mind dirtier, don't worry, we'll get there! (chuckles dirtily) And thanks to ALL of you who reviewed – I checked my email and the review notices just kept coming! I was amazed, awed, and touched. So, thank you, very, very much. (sniffle)_

_Don't get too tired for love/don't let it end  
Don't say goodnight to love/it may never be the same again._

_Don't say it, don't say it/say anything, don't say goodnight tonight._  
_Don't say it, don't say it/say anything but don't say goodnight tonight._  
_Don't say it, don't say it/say anything, don't say goodnight tonight._

_Don't get too cold for love/don't pass it by  
__Don't grow too old for love/it's a feeling that may never die._

_Don't say it, don't say it/say anything, don't say goodnight tonight._  
_Don't say it, don't say it/say anything, don't say goodnight tonight._  
_Don't say it, don't say it/you can say anything but don't say goodnight tonight._

- Paul McCartney & Wings

If I looked back over my entire existence, I could easily state, with complete truth and honesty, that the next three days were the best of my life – excluding the moment when Kitten finally admitted she loved me, of course. That stood on its own shelf, plane, existence, whatever.

However, I could also easily say that they were the most frustrating as well. Here, after searching for so long, was my Kitten at last, yet I was afraid the slightest thing might make her re-think her decision to rekindle our relationship. I treated her like a frightened deer that, if startled, might panic and bolt. So, even though it nearly drove me mad, I kept to her requirement that we take things slow, see where they went. I knew where _I_ wanted them to go, and that was her bedroom, or failing that mine, but apparently my vote didn't count.

So I decided to play her game, but added a few twists of my own. I would pick her up (I always pretended not to notice the little skip in her heartbeat each time she opened the door), and take her somewhere very public, like a bar or a restaurant. I would brush by her as we were seated, stood to leave or I helped her with her coat, my fingers lingering just a moment on her shoulders.

We always took her car, so I made sure to hand the keys back to her whenever we arrived at our destination, letting our fingers brush. Same thing when she handed the keys back to me to take her home. Then I would walk her to her door and deliberately not touch her – not ask for a good night kiss, not even a hug. I could sense – and smell – her mounting frustration over this, but on the third night, I heard her kick the door after she shut it and I smiled to myself.

I'm not saying it was easy on me, not by a long shot. After dropping her off, I'd spend hours thinking about the way the curve of her arse looked in her trousers, or how her cleavage looked in her V-necked blouse. Then my mind would wander down the inevitable path of what her arse looked like without the trousers now, since it was more rounded. I imagined it would be a perfect fit for my hand to draw her pelvis closer to mine while I was inside her. And her cleavage, her cleavage… I spent hours each night imagining all the different ways I would take her once she got this ridiculous celibacy mandate off the table.

I knew she loved pizza, so I took her to a pizza place for dinner the first night. It was an upscale place, catering more to adults than families, so I sat, leaned back in my chair, twirled my tumbler of whiskey and asked her about her job. I knew a lot of the information already from my research, but she opened up like a lotus blossom and chattered on about it for most of her pizza and through several gin and tonics. I watched her shoulders visibly relax as she talked and noted that she seemed relieved to have someone to be able to talk about it to and not have to constantly edit her conversation.

The second night I took her out for burgers and fries. That's a typical American date, right? Or at least it is for teenagers, and I wanted Kitten to have that experience, even if a bit late. It was over this meal that I learned how she'd met Denise – she'd stopped at a quick hamburger place on her way home one night and found Denise "with her neck being turned into a straw," as she put it. Not fazed in the slightest at learning of the existence of vampires, Denise just calmly said she at least owed Kitten a beer. She and Randy made an excellent match, I thought.

I also learned about the rest of her friends on this date – two blokes named Tate and Juan, and a bloke named Dave who had died during the run-in with Lazarus. The pain on her face was clear when she talked about her dead friend, and it was obvious she felt responsible. If possible, I'd stake Lazarus again myself, just for that.

Tate turned out to be the brawny, brown haired bloke I'd seen in Ohio and then in Chicago. Evidently he was her second in command, and would come 'round with Juan on a regular basis to play poker and drink. I'd briefly overheard a bit of conversation with this Juan when I followed Kitten to her workplace so I knew he was something of a letch, but she fondly talked about how he was an incurable pervert who never missed an opportunity to chat up a lady. He sounded like a bloke I could quite like, actually.

The third night turned out to be balmy and clear, so we just walked around Richmond, stopping here and there for a drink. I filled her in a bit on how I'd spent the last four years, and told her about Ian's poker game. Soon I had her laughing at the thought of myself, Spade and Rodney all being clueless, her laughs turning to shudders at the thought of ever being with Ian. I roared with laughter at her extended, "ewwwwwww." I don't think the bloke has ever had a female have _that_ reaction to him.

I noticed it was getting cooler out and that she had her hands shoved into her jacket pockets, so I drove us back to her house and suggested that I cook her dinner the next night. She agreed so quickly I knew my little "brushes and bumps" plan had succeeded admirably. I'd bring ice cream for dessert (useful in so many ways, and not just to eat) but I was betting that tomorrow would be the night she'd crack under the strain and _she'd_ be the dessert – and I couldn't wait to see if she tasted as sweet as I remembered.

I got up the next day, showered, shaved, dressed with care. Then I made my way to the grocery store and bought the items for my carefully planned meal – and the ice cream, of course. However, as I made my way up her front path, my sixth sense, honed over years of experience, kicked in and let me know I was being watched. A slight glance using my peripheral vision showed it was Kitten's bloke, _Tate_ if you will, sitting a few houses away from hers down the street.

I continued on my way to the door, not a falter in my step. When Kitten answered, a huge smile wreathing her face at the sight of my multiple bags, I just said, "We're being watched."


	17. I'll Be Your Man

_Too many voices/Too many noises  
Invisible wires keeping us apart.  
So many choices/But they're all disappointments  
And they only steal me away from you._

_Climb into our own private bubble_  
_Let's get into all kinds of trouble_

_Slide over here, let your hands feel the way_  
_There's no better method to communicate_  
_Girl, stop your talking/Words just get in the way_  
_I'll be your man_

_So baby come over/From the end of the sofa_  
_I'll be your man/I'll be your man_

_So many faces/Staring at their shoelaces_  
_When all anyone wants is to be seen_  
_So tonight let's be honest/We all want to be wanted_  
_And darlin' you've got me wantin' you_

_Everything that I'm trying to say/Just sounds like a worn out cliche._

_Slide over here, let your hands feel the way_  
_There's no better method to communicate_  
_Girl, stop your talking/Words just get in the way_  
_I'll be your man_

_So baby come over/From the end of the sofa_  
_I'll be your man/I'll be your man_

_What are we all looking for?/Someone we just can't ignore_  
_It's real love dripping from my heart,/You've got me tripping_  
_What are we all looking for?_

-James Blunt

"_We're being watched."_

Kitten didn't look around as I said it, simply took some grocery bags from me and softly asked, "Ian?"

"No. It's your bloke, the same one in Ohio. He's down the street in his car, and from the way his pulse just shot up, you've been found out. He can tell what I am." She must've trained her team _very_ well for him to recognize what I was from that far away, assuming the sod didn't have a zoom lens trained on her house.

"Tate? Do you think my mother called him?"

We were still standing on the porch, and I knew that to stand around longer would just give him more ammunition, as it were. I propelled her backward into the house.

"From his heart rate, he's shocked. No, he had no idea. Probably thought to offer you some company in hopes you'd break down and shag him. Wanker."

Kitten began to pace, but I simply began to put away the groceries. It looked like my idea of cooking her dinner was off the table, pun intended, so they might as well be stored until I could use them. I began to open cabinets, looking for contents to see where to put things, and realized her kitchen was practically empty. How very vampire of her.

As I stashed items away, I heard her bloke's heart rate and breathing stay at its very high rate. Then, after a minute or so, he started his car and drove off.

Kitten looked even more distraught, so it was easy to guess where he was heading. "I wanted more time," she said, despairingly.

_Bugger_. Looks like that die is cast. Oh well, we'd just have to find a way to deal with it. I mixed her a gin and tonic and handed it over. It was gone before the ice even had a chance to chill it. Even with this new wrench thrown into my plans that made me smile.

"Better, luv? Like your bloomin' security blanket, that stuff is."

"I like the taste. That's what all the drunks say, isn't it?" She sighed and thunked her head down on the kitchen table, over her crossed arms.

"Do you want me to leave, or wait to see what they'll do? I told you, if they come with force, we'll hear them long before they arrive. It's your call." _If we can conquer your mum, Kitten, we can conquer this too, if you'll only try, luv…_

She thought for a moment then looked up at me. "Well, they were going to find out soon anyway, I suppose. It'll take Tate half an hour to get to the compound, another thirty minutes at least for Don to decide on their course of action, and then another thirty to send a team back here, if that's what they decide. Tate doesn't know we saw him, so he won't think there's a rush. You may as well stay. If I could tell my mother, Don should be a cakewalk." I mentally blew out a deep breath. It was as if she'd read my mind.

She had put a weak attempt at humor in her voice, but there was a tiny V of stress lines between her eyes.

"It will be all right, Kitten. You'll see."

True to her estimation, exactly one hour later her mobile rang. She nearly broke the damn thing in her hurry to answer it, but kudos to her, her voice sounded completely relaxed. "Hello?"

After four years, I finally heard the voice of the man who took the love of my life away from me. He didn't sound nearly as controlled and Machiavellian as Kitten had described him. "Cat? Is that you?"

"It's my cell, who else would it be?"

There was a pause then he cryptically asked, "Is everything okay there?"

"Fine. Why? What's going on?"

Another pause, and then the buggering bastard said, "There's an emergency. How soon can you get here?"

Kitten glanced at me, but I shrugged. It was her call. "Give me an hour."

"An hour. I'll be waiting."

After flipping the mobile closed, Kitten suddenly burst out, "I'm not giving you up!"

Relieved and slightly surprised, I laughed. "Too bloody right. I'm not going away just because they might not give us their blessing."

"I'm not just going to quit, though. This is more than a job to me. I'm able to make a difference in people's lives who don't have anywhere else to turn, Bones. I know I need to deal with Don and the guys, but I'm not leaving unless they force me to."

_Oh, buggerbloodywankshit_. That complicated things even more than they already were. "Bloody hell," I sighed. "If you want to continue your crusade to rid the world of undead murderers, you can do that with me. You don't need them."

"But they need me. If they leave me no other choice, I'll go, but I will fight to make them reconsider."

I simply stared at her, frustration and resignation running through my mind as I tried to come up with possible plans to make this work. Finally I threw up my hands. "All right. I'll have to think on what to do about that, and Ian as well, though we have a little time with him. Perhaps a month, if luck holds. Don't tell your boss who I really am yet, if your bloke hasn't figured it out. There are some details I need to settle first before they realize you didn't kill me in Ohio after all."

"What details? With Ian?"

"Not Ian. Don. Interesting bloke. Been doing a bit of research on him the last several months. I'm waiting to confirm some information, and I'll tell you when I have it."

"What information?" I'd forgotten how persistent she could be when she wanted information and wasn't getting it. Well, _this_ she wasn't getting now matter how many times she asked or how many ways she tried.

"I'll tell you when I have it," I repeated. Then I moved on to a subject that concerned me more at the moment. "You know I'll follow you over there, but how secure is this building of yours? If they tried to force you to leave, where would they take you? The airstrip?"

"Yes, they'd try to fly me out, if they were going to get rough. Planes don't normally take off there, so if you see one taxiing, chances are I'm on it." _Not on your reckless life, luv._

"You don't have to go in, but I can see you have your mind set to it. Think for a bit, though. If they can't persuade you to relinquish me and they reckon you'll try to escape if they hold you, what's to stop them from simply killing you? I can guarantee that no plane will take off with you on it, but I don't fancy you walking into what could be a trap. How certain are you of these men?"

She thought about it a moment, a cold expression on her face. Then she shook her head. "Unless they've exhausted all other options, they won't pull that trigger. They'd try to salvage me first. If I started killing people, then they'd try to take me out, but otherwise…no. That's not Don's style."

She looked up to meet my eyes, resolve in hers. "When I left you, I thought it was the only way to save you and my mother. Really I did. But over the years, I've gotten to know Don. He can be a callous son of a bitch, but he's not the cold-blooded creature I first thought him to be. Don wouldn't leave my mother defenseless if I took off with you, no matter that he threatened to do that when we first met. Yes, he'd kill me if he thought I would destroy his operation, but he'd only do it as a last resort. I'm not afraid of going in, but as I said, I'm not going to give you up just because Don won't like that you're a vampire and I'm dating you."

No matter how many times she said it, it was something I could never hear enough. I went over to her and gently ran the backs of my knuckles along her cheeks. I traced her jaw with one thumb, then slid my other hand into her hair and leaned down. When I finally, _finally_ kissed her, she let out a soft moan.

I rubbed my tongue along hers and she pulled me closer to her, until our bodies were flush against each other. She tightened her hands on my shoulders and then suddenly, it seemed as if her control snapped and her hands began to race around me.

I tightened my arms around her back and held her so tightly I was almost afraid I'd bruise her. I deepened our kiss, not being able to taste enough of her. I heard a throb come from her, smelled her arousal and it nearly blew my own control apart. I slid my hands from her back to her hips and rubbed against her so hard, I felt her knees weaken a bit.

Suddenly she yanked herself away from me. Not able to completely let go, I held on to her arms and my fingers flexed on her skin as I fought with myself whether to yank her back to me or let her loose. "If I kiss you again," I warned, "I'm not going to stop."

"We can't, not now," she half panted, half groaned. "Or it'll be pretty easy for the guys to kill you, since I'll already have you pinned underneath me."

I laughed, a low growl deep in my throat. "I'm happy to risk it."

She backed away, uncurling my fingers from her arms. "Not now," she repeated. "I have to take care of this. It's overdue, don't you think?"

Frustrated, I looked down at the bulge tenting my trousers. "_Very_ overdue."

She laughed. "Not that; you know what I meant."

I ran a hand through my hair, still debating whether to throw her to the carpet or not. She looked away, trying to cool the heat between us. _Fuck!_

"Right," I finally said. "Your work. Let's go over possibilities if they take the news badly. I want you to be prepared to escape if need be."

"Oh, don't worry about that," she replied with an arch little smile. "I've had an escape route planned for years."


	18. The Winner Takes It All

_A/N: This was a tough chapter to figure out. The conversation in it had to be included, yet from Bones' POV. So, I hope you like how I eventually worked it out in my head. If not, feel free to leave suggestions in reviews as there will be more chapters like this coming up!_

_I don't wanna talk/About things we've gone through  
Though it's hurting me/Now it's history  
I've played all my cards/And that's what you've done too  
Nothing more to say/No more ace to play_

_The winner takes it all/The loser's standing small_  
_Beside the victory/That's her destiny_

_I was in your arms/Thinking I belonged there_  
_I figured it made sense/Building me a fence_  
_Building me a home/Thinking I'd be strong there_  
_But I was a fool/Playing by the rules_

_The gods may throw the dice/Their minds as cold as ice_  
_And someone way down here/Loses someone dear_  
_The winner takes it all/The loser has to fall_  
_It's simple and it's plain/Why should I complain?_

_The judges will decide/The likes of me abide_  
_Spectators of the show/Always staying low_  
_The game is on again/A lover or a friend_  
_A big thing or a small/The winner takes it all_

_I don't wanna talk/If it makes you feel sad_  
_And I understand/You've come to shake my hand_  
_I apologize/If it makes you feel bad_  
_Seeing me so tense/No self-confidence_  
_But you see/The winner takes it all_  
_The winner takes it all..._

- ABBA

It was times like this that being a vampire really came in handy. Even though I couldn't follow Kitten onto the base, I could hear everything. And once she was finally – after many extra security checks, as if she were hiding me in her bloody handbag, as it were – allowed in, I followed the sound of her and made myself comfortable on the roof, where I could hear even better.

Finally she reached what must've been her boss' office – oh, I had things I wanted to do him – and he wasn't alone. Her brawny bloke and the one it seemed I would get along with quite well were there also.

"Hello guys," she addressed them.

I heard nothing but some shuffling noises, then Don spoke. "Cat. You're twenty minutes late."

"I was tied up. Then the guards almost strip-searched me on my way in the compound." _Good form, Kitten!_

"Shut the door, Juan," Don instructed. More shuffling sounds ensued, until Kitten spoke up. "Nice color," she commented. "Looks better than the old one. What's the emergency?"

"You are." That must be her bloke. My, he sounded quite edgy. Can't imagine why.

Don again. "Cat, just the other day, I told you how amazing it was you'd never faltered in your tenure here. It seems I spoke too soon. We know about the vampire. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Kitten's response was quick and cold. "Spying on me? I thought you gave that up a long time ago. You nosy bastard, what business is it of yours who I date as long as I do my job?"

"You're dating a vampire! You just admitted it!" Her bloke's temper was going to get him killed one day, and one day soon if he kept talking to her like that.

Kitten shared none of his rather temperamental response. In fact, hers was downright blasé. And not only humorous, but flattering. "You know the old saying. Once you go dead, no one's better in bed."

"Christos." Ah. Must be Juan.

"I hadn't heard that one," Don ground out. "You fail to see the enormity of what you're admitting to? You are fraternizing with the enemy in the most compromising way possible, jeopardizing the lives of all you command. This creature is no doubt using you to infiltrate our operation."

Kitten gave a snort that was very familiar. "He couldn't give a rat's ass about your operation, Don. Believe it or not, he cares more about me than what goes on here."

"I fail to see how that's possible," Don barked. Oh, we have a crack in the façade, do we? "Look at the influence he already has over you, making you risk your life for sex. And I seem to remember that personal association with vampires was expressly forbidden in our agreement when you signed on."

Kitten let that slide. _Maybe because hopefully, please God, all His saints, Allah, Santa Claus, anyone I could think of that she might want to change that status?_ "Yes, well, a lot of things have changed since then, haven't they?" she said mildly. "Take for example the invention of Brams." _Brams? What in the name of arse is Brams?_ "Or the caged vampires on the premises. Oh, and don't forget, the added years to their lives."

"That's not relevant now," Don's tone made it clear that he hadn't revealed that little bombshell. But then again, Kitten hadn't known that long, herself.

In a mocking tone, she asked, "Let's ask them, shall we? Tate, Juan, did you both know if you drank vampire blood, it would add at least twenty years to your natural lives? I didn't know that, but old Don here sure did. He knew what went on in Ohio, but didn't figure on telling you. Guess he thought you wouldn't be interested."

"Madre de Dios, is that true?" Juan burst out. Her bloke was quiet for once; one can only hope he was nice and stunned at the news. _Wanker._

"It's not nice when someone knows how long you might live and keeps it to themselves, is it? At least I told Don you had to be informed, whereas you didn't give me the same courtesy!" Kitten exclaimed.

"Is this some sort of payback?" he asked low. _Payback for what?_

"No, it has nothing to do with that," she said more softly. "It has nothing to do with any of you, and that's the way it stays."

"There is no way I will allow this behavior to continue," Don said, desperately trying to regain control. "Too many lives are at risk, and I care about that even if you don't."

_Uh oh._ Did he _not_ know Kitten's temper by now? Sure enough, it erupted. "Fuck you, _boss_. I care about each and every man in my unit, and I've proved that countless times. You don't believe me? Then fire me."

"_Querida_, don't be so hasty," Juan implored. "We're concerned for you; what if this vamp finds out what you are—"

"He knows," she interrupted.

Don let loose an admirable string of curses. "How does he know that, Cat? You told him? Did you draw him a fucking map of our location and numbers as well? I hope he's amazing in bed, because you've just ruined everything we've worked for!" _I am, mate. Not that I'd ever show_ you_, but I am._

"No, I didn't tell him," she scrambled. "I met him years ago. He knew what I was from back then, and he left Ohio before all that shit went down. I hadn't seen him until a month ago when I ran into him around here. He's only a hundred and I'm stronger than he is, so he knows to keep his trap shut or I'll kill him. There you have it." _Quick thinking, Kitten. Nicely done._

"How could you do it?" her bloke snarled. Oh, he and I would have our day. "How could you fuck a corpse? You really went from one extreme to the other. First Noah, then right to necrophilia!"

_Red headed temper, aisle five_. "Does everybody forget I'm half vampire? When you say shit about the undead, you're also talking about me! It's like skinheads trying to convince Halle Berry to march in their neo-nazi parade! How could I do it? Why don't you tell me, Tate? Or you, Juan? Both of you have tried to fuck me. Guess that makes you necrophiliacs as well." Well _that_ was interesting news. I'd file that away in the Kitten file. And nice analogy, Kitten.

Don gave a delicate cough. "No one forgets what you are. However, it doesn't change what your mission is. You kill the undead. All of you do. This is a momentous task with great responsibility. What's to stop your lover from doing his kind a favor by informing them where the elusive Red Reaper lives? After all, if you're dead, then you can hardly threaten him."

"Juan, how many different women have you slept with in the past four years?" Kitten quickly switched tracks.

"Yo no se, querida, perhaps…about one a week?" he answered. Seriously, I _liked_ this bloke.

"That's not necessary!" Don burst.

"I think it is," Kitten responded sharply. "One a week, give or take. That's over two hundred different women in the past four years he's worked here, and on a side note: Juan, you're a _slut_. But how many of them were carefully screened to ensure they weren't a Renfield, or some ghoul's underling? You sexist bastards, I'm the only one called on the carpet for who I date! Well, I've had enough of this little chastity session. Don, it comes down to this. You either trust me or you don't. I've never let you down, and I won't walk away unless you make me. Period. Now, unless you have a real emergency, I'd like to get back to my vacation. And my corpse, thanks."

I heard her stomp to the door, then stop. "Get out of my way," she said with menace. I wasn't entirely sure who blocked the door, only being able to hear and not see, but I'd bet my undead life it was her bloke.

"Cat." Don spoke up. "If we have nothing to fear from your association with this vampire, then you won't mind stopping by the lab for a blood sample. You haven't been indiscriminately drinking blood, have you?"

She snorted. "Not my beverage of choice, sorry. But if it'll make you feel better to check my lab work, fine. Lead the way."

"I'll be frank with you," Don said as, from the sound, they walked lower. And also from the sound, they weren't alone. "I don't know what I'm going to do about this. I have the team to consider. I'm not comfortable risking their lives on only your word that this creature isn't dangerous."

"That's where the trust part comes in. Besides, if he wanted to hurt the team, he could have done that last weekend at the GiGi Club. Don't fuck up a good thing because of blind prejudice, Don. We both know you need me."

"I want to believe you can't be turned against us. But I don't know if I can."

I heard the sounds of her blood being drawn – _mine_ – and finally she made her way up to the ground level and to her car, her bloke following her. Neither of them spoke, which was fine by me.

Her bloke opened her door for her. Nice to know he had manners. She slid inside but didn't shut it. His fingers tapped on her roof.

"I bet you thought that was poetic justice, me not knowing about how much longer I could live. I told Don to tell you about your aging three years ago, when they were sure. He disagreed, and he's the boss. Sometimes you just have to follow orders, even if you don't want to."

"Sometimes." She gave him an unblinking stare. "Not always. Not when it affects your friends, but we have different opinions about that."

"Yeah, well, we have different opinions about a lot of things. You really handed me my ass in there. First you casually admit to having a vampire boyfriend, then you tell everyone I tried to fuck you. What's next? You going to whip out a dick and say you're really a man?" Okay, spoke too soon about the manners.

She gave him a thin smile. "Back me into a corner and I come out clawing. You know that. I wish all of you would just have a little faith. I care about my team and the job I do. If I didn't, why would I put up with this shit?"

He frowned. "You might have Don fooled, Cat, but not me. I saw your face tonight. You've never smiled at anyone the way you smiled at that vampire." _That's right, wanker, remember that!_ "That's why I don't trust you not to get in over your head. You already are."

I could only hope he was right. But for now, at least, she was coming home to me.


	19. Life in the Fast Lane

_A/N: Apologies for the delay, creative muse keeps moving in and out of my house and never pays rent, the bitch… So most of this is canon, but some is original because several reviewers asked for more Bones/Tate jealousy. Also, one reviewer commented that Bones wouldn't have been able to see the "thin smile" Cat gave Tate in the previous chapter. My way of thinking about that is, he was on the roof, tailing her; he would have followed her by sound to the edge of the building and seen Tate open her door, not shut it, and get the thin smile. But again, that's just how my brain worked it out, and I'm known to be weird.:)_

_He was a hard-headed man/He was brutally handsome, and she was terminally pretty  
She held him up, and he held her for ransom in the heart/of the cold, cold city  
He had a nasty reputation as a cruel dude/They said he was ruthless, they said he was crude  
They had one thing in common, they were/good in bed  
She'd say, 'Faster, faster. The lights are turnin' red."  
Life in the fast lane/Surely make you lose your mind, mm  
Are you with me so far?_

_Eager for action and hot for the game/The coming attraction, the drop of a name_  
_They knew all the right people, they took all the right pills_  
_They threw outrageous parties, they paid heavenly bills_  
_There were lines on the mirror, lines on her face_  
_She pretended not to notice, she was caught up in the race_

_Out every evening, until it was light_  
_He was too tired to make it, she was too tired to fight about it_

_Life in the fast lane/Surely make you lose your mind_  
_Life in the fast lane, everything all the time_  
_Life in the fast lane, uh huh/Blowin' and burnin', blinded by thirst_  
_They didn't see the stop sign/took a turn for the worse_

_She said, "Listen, baby. You can hear the engine ring._

_We've been up and down this highway; haven't seen a goddam thing."  
He said, "Call the doctor. I think I'm gonna crash."  
"The doctor say he's comin', but you gotta pay him cash."  
They went rushin' down that freeway, messed around and got lost  
They didn't care they were just dyin' to get off  
And it was life in the fast lane, life in the fast lane _

- The Eagles

I showed up at exactly seven the next evening. I had several surprises up my sleeve, and my sleeve was just one of them. Oh, I knew Don's men were watching us; I could hear their cameras clicking as soon as I turned onto her street. And just because of this, I had reservations at the most obvious, the most easily viewed restaurant available – Skylines. Sitting atop a twenty-story building, it's entire exterior was made of glass, and I had booked us a table right up to the window. There. Let them look all they want. That was surprise Number One.

Surprise Number Two came from a dusty box, dug out from under a loose board in a kitchen cabinet, years ago. I'd sworn never to wear it until I saw her again, and I hadn't - until tonight. Under it I wore tailored black pants – my standard – and a dark blue shirt. I knocked, and waited.

She opened it, and, in true Kitten form, most elegantly blurted, "Holy shit, is that what I think it is?"

I gave a huge grin and did a circle. "You like? After all, you kept your Christmas present"— I gestured at the Volvo in her driveway—"so it only seemed fair to retrieve mine, especially since you took my other jacket."

I'd expected surprise, amazement, maybe even a little bit of a turn-on to come from her, but what did come stunned me. Her lovely face crumpled with guilt, and her eyes filled with tears. Oh, no, no NO.

Sorry, luv," I crooned, pulling her into my arms. I could hear the damn cameras snapping as I held her. "Didn't think it would make you sad."

Her back straightened and when she spoke, it was without a hint of a sniffle. _My tough girl_. "I'm fine," she said briskly, giving the leather a light rub. "You look great in it. Just like I pictured you would—except your hair's different, of course."

I shook my head, exaggeratedly making my dark-brown curls sway. "This is my natural color. Didn't really care about coloring it much lately, and the platinum did stand out more, don't you agree? Why, which do you prefer?"

She thought about it. "Since I met you as a blond, that's just what feels right to me. But don't worry. I won't break out the peroxide later."

I gave a low chuckle. "Whatever turns you on."

"Come on in," she laughed. "I'm almost ready."

"You like gorgeous to me, luv," I replied, and I meant it. I gave a her a leisurely look over as I said it, and everything I saw looked fantastic. She had on a simple, sleeveless short black sheath, with a front and back V-neck. Light makeup, no jewelry and no perfume. Then I looked all the way down and realized she was still barefoot.

"Just have to pick out my shoes, but make yourself comfortable," she called, heading upstairs to her bedroom. I could hear her, fumbling around, trying on different pairs. What is it with women and black pumps? Why do they need 10 pairs? They all look the same to us blokes. Still, this gave me an opportunity to get some answers to questions that had been bugging me since last night.

"Kitten?" I called, not needing to raise my voice, knowing she could hear me, even upstairs.

"Hmmm?" Fumble, fumble fumble and then an "ouch!' with what sounded like she'd bumped into the chest of drawers.

"I know you know I heard what went on last night. I was wondering… what did your bloke mean by 'some sort of payback?' And when, precisely, did he try to fuck you?" I tried to keep the edge out of my voice but I know I failed, and miserably at that.

A sigh came from upstairs. "Denise threw me a surprise birthday party. Everyone got drunk, except for me, obviously. Don arranged for most of the guys to have rides home, but I drove a few. Tate lives the closest to me, so I took him home last. He was pretty well wasted, and I had to basically carry him into his house. I dropped him on his bed, then he grabbed me and kissed me. Told me he had feelings for me."

This as she came down the stairs, having picked a pair of high black heels at last. Jealousy, thick and black as tar, was filling me, along with a nice side of hatred. I reminded myself that it was _me_ she was seeing, and that if she'd had any feelings for the tosser at all, she'd had over four years to explore them, but hadn't. "I told him I didn't think of him like that, that we worked together. Then as I was leaving, he asked me if I'd ever been in love. And I said yes." Said looking looking directly into my eyes.

"Then what?" I asked softly, successfully keeping my inner rage at bay. _Good on me!_

"He asked me who he was, what had happened. I told him that he knew who he was. He was the vampire who wrecked his car. So he knew what happened to him. I said I killed him. I was still trying to protect you, Bones, and I didn't want them to know what really happened." She looked at me imploringly.

"And that's it?"

"And that's it. You know everything there is to know."

"I can live with that, Kitten, as long as he realizes you're _mine_ and that he can't be more to you than a friend." I stood up and decided a subject change was in order, else I'd go to the wanker's house and cheerfully kill him. "Those heels really do wonders for your legs, Kitten. Ready to go?"

"Um hmm."

I climbed onto my baby, my snazzy new Ducati. The bike was the best choice for our plans to lose Don's tail on us. Don had probably ordered Kitten's car bugged while she met with him yesterday anyway, and _nobody_ could catch a vampire on a motorcycle.

I gave her an amused look as she put my helmet on and climbed onto the back of the bike. "I can hear them; they're scurrying like rats now. Let's see how well they can keep up. I'll take it easy on them to start."

I gunned the bike, shooting down the street. Kitten tightened her arms around my waist. It was like time had melted away and we were right back where we had always been.

When we got to Skylines and were shown to our seats, Kitten gave an amused look at the surrounding buildings and I caught her almost give a little wave. "Showing them we haven't tried to escape?" she remarked after the waiter took our wine and appetizer order.

I threw a smile her way. "Didn't want them to come barreling up here and ruin our dinner. Come now, you haven't even looked at the menu."

She absently scanned the food options in front of her, but her gaze kept returning my own. I began to pick up a certain scent from her, and the more our eyes net, the stronger the scent became.

I could feel my eyes begun to glint with green flecks. "Stop it, luv. You're making it very difficult for me to behave."

"I don't know what you mean," she said as she re-crossed her legs, and I almost groaned at hearing the rub of skin on skin since she was _sans_ hose.

The waiter delivered our wine and she continued her campaign to torture me. She sipped at her glass while shifting in her seat and casually stroking her cleavage, drawing my eyes there and reminding me of how much I wanted to stroke it with my tongue.

I leaned forward. "Do you know how beautiful you are?" I said roughly. "Absolutely ravishing. I'm going to spend hours reacquainting my mouth with every inch of your body, and I can barely wait to see if you taste as good as I remember."

She held the next sip of wine in her mouth a moment again before swallowing. "Do we really have to stay for the whole meal?" she said staring straight into my eyes, then she stroked my hand with one finger. "Let's just take it to go, hmm?"

I started to respond, but heard the cocking of a gun. Close. My defense system kicked in. Grabbed Kitten from her chair. Rolled underneath tables. Sheltered her with my body. Stinging in my head. Couldn't think straight for a bit. Bullet came out of my forehead. Not silver, then. Headache. All I could see was red.

Glass shattered. Tables crumbled. People knocked from their chairs. Lucky to be alive. Shrill screams. Still underneath me was a body. Warm. Breaths panting. Is the red blood, or hair, or both? Heard a cry. Sweetest sound I'd ever heard. Even through the pain of my forehead knitting back together.

Gray eyes opened. "You've been shot!" she gasped. "Someone tried to kill you!"

In shock, it took a moment her to put the pieces together. We were on the floor. I had rolled her away from our table. Where we had sat, were three bullet holes. None of them were by my seat.

I pulled her to her feet with my back to the window, and I could see the truth hit her as I answered.

"Not me, Kitten. You."


	20. Fly Like an Eagle

_A/N: The credit for the song for this chapter is due to my neighbor… I had just started to work on it when he started his car up and this came floating through the window… it seemed like such a weird coincidence that I just _had_ to use it, even if it isn't an absolutely perfect fit…_

_Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'/Into the future  
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'/Into the future_

I want to fly like an eagle/To the sea  
Fly like an eagle/Let my spirit carry me  
I want to fly like an eagle/Till I'm free  
Oh, Lord, through the revolution

Feed the babies/Who don't have enough to eat  
Shoe the children/With no shoes on their feet  
House the people/Livin' in the street/Oh, oh, there's a solution

I want to fly like an eagle/To the sea  
Fly like an eagle/Let my spirit carry me  
I want to fly like an eagle/Till I'm free/Fly through the revolution

Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'/Into the future  
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'/Into the future  
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'/Into the future  
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'/Into the future

I want to fly like an eagle/To the sea  
Fly like an eagle/Let my spirit carry me  
I want to fly like an eagle/Till I'm free/Fly through the revolution

Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'/Into the future  
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'/Into the future 

- The Steve Miller Band

"Hold on to my neck and don't let go," I seethed ferociously. "We're getting the sod." I wrapped both arms around her as she clung to my neck, then I catapulted us backward straight through the wall behind us.

The glass made an ear-splitting noise as it crashed outward, but I could still hear Kitten's screams at suddenly free-falling from a twenty-story building. Her grip on my neck kept tightening until it felt like iron.

We dropped straight downward until we were just above the traffic, then I steered us diagonally toward a black van that had suddenly sped off into the traffic. Kitten's screams choked off in astonishment.

Below us cars screeched, some from the veering van or some from those who'd hit their brakes in disbelief at seeing us streaking above them. The van was still speeding, weaving in and out of lanes, but I was faster. I caught up to it in seconds and grabbed the rear bumper, flipping the vehicle with one hand while I held Kitten held tightly in the other.

The van overturned with an enormous crash. Oncoming cars swerved and more brakes squealed. I flew straight upward, out of the way of the traffic melee and set Kitten down on the sidewalk. Normally she'd balk at being told what to do, but in this instance she was so stunned she actually complied with my directive.

"Stay here."

I left her there, staring dumbly at the ground like she'd never seen it before and sped back to the van. There was a brief tussle with the human driver, who tried his valiant best to shoot me, without much luck on his part but causing onlookers to scream. Finally I bashed him on the head and was back to Kitten before she'd even come out of her state of shock.

"Let's go."

I had the driver of the van flung over one shoulder and held with one arm, so I grasped her with my free arm and we were off again. This time, I noted with amusement, she tangled her legs with mine as if she were afraid they'd fall off if she didn't.

I flew for about ten minutes, looking for a decent spot to have a chat with this bloke. Finally I saw a warehouse in a dark alley and set us neatly down. Kitten was panting and looking at me like she'd never seen me before.

"You can fly?" she gasped.

I was busy shaking the would-be assassin, but I glanced over, and with no small inner sense of "ha ha" and nose thumbing, just said, "Told you I was more powerful than you were aware of."

She kept staring. "But you can _fly_?" she repeated.

"I'm a Master vampire. If a Master gets to be powerful enough and old enough, this is one of the perks. There are others, but we can get into those later," I said as the assassin's eyes fluttered open, focused on me, and then bulged. Oh good, he was awake, and from the looks of it, scared shitless. _Perfect_.

I dropped the shite to the ground and knelt in front of him. My eyes turned green and I gave him a swift command to stop trying to wriggle away and sit still.

"This woman," I said, nodding at Kitten. "Why did you try to kill her?"

"Business," he replied, totally enthralled by my green gaze. "I was hired to."

_Bollocks. I'd hoped I was wrong about that contract, but it appeared not._ "Who hired you?" I immediately asked.

"Don't know. The contract came in, instructions were enclosed, and the money was to be wired on completion. Sometimes I get jobs through referrals, but not this time."

Without breaking eye contact, I said, "Kitten. Write this down." I pulled out my wallet, which had a tiny pen clipped to it. She dug around for paper but only found money, so she wrote on that.

I went into hit man mode – straight business, no emotion, purely facts. "Name."

"Ellis Pierson."

"Alias, all of them."

There were several. I was only vaguely aware of Kitten pulling out more money to write on.

One by one, I ran down the questions and got the answers: he'd been given very special instructions on how to go about killing Kitten. It was to be a head shot only, a minimum of three bullets, and at a range no closer than a hundred yards. No car bombs, poison, physical confrontation, or any contact near her car or residence. Ellis wasn't sure why he was given such specific instructions or what she was, but whoever hired him had a bloody good idea. There was no way this could be coincidental.

By the time I'd thought I'd gotten everything out of him there was to discern, Kitten had written on almost all the bills in my wallet. I sat back on my haunches and, just to make completely, totally sure, asked if there was anything else the shite hadn't mentioned. And sure enough, there was.

"The client got anxious in the last e-mail and moved up the time frame. Said new circumstances mandated immediate results. My price was increased by twenty percent if the job was done tonight. I followed her from her house to the restaurant. Easier to escape in the confusion there."

Bloody frigging _hell_. And here I'd been so sure no one could follow a vampire on a motorcycle. Someone wanted Kitten dead in a hurry, and whoever that was also knew where she lived. I felt utterly sick hearing that. I had a strong suspicion that only a select number of people knew that fact.

Obviously I wasn't going to have him over for tea and crumpets, but this last piece of information just added fuel to my already burning fire. I yanked the waste of humanity to me and dug my fangs into his throat - deep, swift and hard, making sure it was painful.

"Does that hurt?" Kitten asked, her voice cold as I dropped him to the ground at my feet.

I wiped my lips. "Not nearly as much as he deserved, but we don't have time for that."

_A/N: Yes, I'm truly evil for stopping there, but I did say I would write it as sets of action, rather than chapters. This book has just fallen more where each chapter was one set of action. Never fear, I'm already working on the next chapter. And yes, I will probably come back in my next life as a dung beetle._


	21. This Land is Mine

_A/N: The part you've been waiting for, and the part that's always hard for me to write. Hope I do it justice._

_From behind these walls I hear your song/Oh, sweet words  
The music that you play lights up my world/The sweetest that I've heard  
Could it be that I've been touched and turned  
Oh Lord, please finally…finally things are changing_

_This land is mine but I'll let you rule/I let you navigate and demand_  
_Just as long as you know…this land is mine/So find your home and settle in_  
_Ohhh, I'm ready to let you in/Just as long as we know…this land is mine_

_After all the battles and the wars/The scars and loss_  
_I'm still the queen of my domain/and feeling stronger now_  
_The walls are down a little more each day_  
_Since you came, finally…finally things are changing_

_Follow the days I've travelled alone/In this cold and colorless place till now_  
_It's what I had to pay_

_This land is mine and I let you rule/I let you navigate on demand_  
_Just as long as you know…this land is mine_

- Dido

Gently, I traced my fingers along the scratch on her temple. "So bloody close to losing you," I whispered. "I wouldn't have been able to stand it, Kitten."

I pulled her to me. She shivered, and I asked, "Cold? Want my jacket?" I was starting to shrug off my leather coat when she stopped me.

"You're warm. I've never felt you this warm before."

I was warm because of the waste of humanity about ten feet from us, but she didn't seem to care. She held onto me, seeming to enjoy my warmth. Then she began to tug at my shirt collar, popping a button loose and resting her cheek on my collarbone.

It was just about all I could bear. I'd been away from her for so long, finally found her, held her and kissed her, but still I wanted that closeness we'd had when our flesh merged. And now I'd come so close to finally, irrevocably losing her. I was holding on by a thread. "Don't, luv," I said in a strained voice. "I have very little control left in me."

She kissed my collarbone, popping off another button to get closer. I couldn't help it; my hands tightened on her back, energy came from me in waves, but it just seemed to excite her.

Her tongue flicked out, sliding lower on my chest, tracing the grooves of muscle. _Enough_. I yanked her head up and trapped her mouth with a rough kiss. I know she could taste blood, but it didn't seem to bother her one bit. Instead, she kissed me like she was devouring me, pulling my tongue into her mouth and sucking on it while tearing at my shirt.

I picked her up and walked us quickly to the dark end of the alley. I braced her against a tree as she raced her hands over the flesh revealed by my torn shirt. I yanked at her dress and the front split open. My mouth left a heated trail down her neck to her breasts, my fangs grazing her skin as I finally got my dream realized of sliding my tongue down her cleavage. She let out a strangled moan when I pushed down her bra and sucked hard on her nipple. _Oh God, so bloody good. I've missed this so much._

I could her the throbs of desire coming from her, and though she probably couldn't sense it, mine matched hers. She ran her hand between our tightly pressed bodies, intent on undoing my trousers, no doubt, but her arm went limp when I ran my fingers under her knickers and slid them into her. Her back arched and she hit her head on the tree, but she didn't care if the cries of desire she gave were any indication. I still remembered – _God did I remember, I had fantasized about this many, many times_ – exactly where to rub, and her cries of pleasure made my control just snap.

I slid my hand out, causing her to yelp in protest, but I just snarled, "I can't wait."

I shifted lower to align us, ripped the lower part of her dress and her knickers at the same time, and thrust deeply inside her. _Home_. _Heaven_. _Bliss_. _Oh God, did I love her_. My mouth covered hers, swallowing her cry of ecstasy. I began to move rhythmically, almost roughly inside her, my body remembering our rhythm.

She clawed at my back, trying to pull us closer. I held her under her hips, and the tree behind us began to rock with our movements. She kept crying, "Don't stop, don't stop!" somewhat mumbled against my lips, but I understood. I moved faster until spasms began to shake her from the inside out, clenching and unclenching on me, stroking me and rubbing me in waves of pure pleasure. I couldn't hold out against that and I groaned, spilling myself inside her.

After a few minutes her breathing calmed to where she could say, "Something's jabbing me…in the back." I pulled her away from the tree and then glanced behind her. Amused, I said, "Twig."

She unwrapped her legs from around my waist until she was standing again. I was kissing her neck, still unable to get enough of her, when she murmured, "That took the edge off years of deprivation."

That stopped me. "Years?" I asked softly.

She took a deep breath. "Yes. Noah was the first guy I dated since you, and we didn't… well. We didn't. Enough said."

_Oh, thank all the stars in heaven. She really does love me to have not been with anyone else in four years_. I slid my hands along her arms in a slow caress. "It wouldn't have mattered if there'd been other men since me, Kitten. Oh, I'd have cared, make no mistake, but in the end, it wouldn't have mattered. Yet you'll forgive me if I confess to being very, very glad that there weren't."

I gave her a long, deep kiss, then pulled away with a sigh. "We need to get out of here, luv. Soon someone will stumble across us."

"Bones." She paused for a moment, took a breath and continued. "I'll say the same thing, it doesn't matter, but…what about you? I'd rather know than wonder."

_Christ, I _knew_ that night with Annette was going to come back to haunt me. Still, I am _not_ going to lie to her._ I looked her straight in the eye. "Once. Close enough to count. I'm not going to be all Clinton about it and call it by a different name. After Chicago, when I left you that watch but you didn't come to me, I was very out of sorts. Thought perhaps you'd truly forgotten me, or didn't care. At the same time, an old lover of mine was in town. She invited me to her room, and I went."

I tried, delicately, to leave it there, but being Kitten she couldn't let it drop. "And then?"

I still met her eyes squarely but my jaw tightened, because I knew this would hurt her. "She and I were in bed, I'd tasted her, and then I stopped before it went further. I'd been imagining she was you, and I couldn't pretend any longer. So I apologized and left."

Her eyes closed and an expression of pain flashed across her face. "It doesn't matter," she said, her voice strangled.

"I'm sorry," I said sadly, and I meant it more than those two words could convey. "I should have never allowed it to go that far. I was angry, lonely, and feeling rather entitled. Not an honorable combination."

She opened her eyes to meet mine. "It doesn't matter," she repeated, with more conviction. "And for the record, I didn't find out about that watch until after the fact. I'm not saying I would have run off with you had I found it sooner, but—I would have pressed that button. I wouldn't have been able to stop myself."

I smiled. _So she wasn't in Chicago, ignoring me after all_. "I've never been able to stop myself either when it comes to you, Kitten. But we really do need to leave now."

She cleared her throat. "Um, on foot?"

I snorted as I fastened my trousers. "No. The faster way."

"I still can't believe you didn't tell me you could fly," she complained. "I can think of a few times back in Ohio when it would have saved me some gas money!"

_Oh, blimey_. "I didn't tell you about it back then because I was afraid to show you even more ways that I wasn't like a normal man."

"Can you also leap tall buildings in a single bound?" she joked after a pause.

I wrapped my arms around her, laughing into her neck. "We'll try that tomorrow night."

She nodded towards the dead bloke across the parking lot. "What are we doing with him?"

"Leaving him. I'm sure your blokes will come along soon enough, so he's their problem.

We're going back to my house to find out who employed the late Ellis Pierson."

I flew us upward, and even though she didn't scream this time, she still had her eyes screwed shut. "You don't ever crash, do you?" she managed to ask breathlessly.

I chuckled into the wind. "Not lately."


	22. Turn Me On

_A/N: As promised, I've added smut in here to make up for leaving you guys hanging and making you wait for tree sex. LOL_

_I'm a boy and she's a girl/And we're gonna do this around the world  
Catch her heart and count to five/And remember everybody dies you know,_

_I'm not her friend no, not second best/I'll send her home unless they're both in it_  
_Together having had both of each other/That's my kinda party!/That's my kinda party!_

_I'm a boy and she's a girl/And we've all known this around the world_  
_Around the world/Around the world/Around the world_

_So, why get complicated?/You know you wanna turn me on._  
_Why get complicated?/You know wanna turn me on._

_Underwater, with someone's daughter/Gonna make you a dirty woman!_  
_And when we both hold it together_

James Blunt

I flew us back to my rental house, because I'd left my laptop and other research information there. Plus, I still had my cell phone in my leather coat, which was added luck. We couldn't go back to Kitten's house, since there was every possibility there might be another hit man waiting for her there, probably even using her kitten as blackmail material.

But I also had another motive for taking us back to my house. Our little interlude in the parking lot had been fantastic, and very much needed release, but I needed more re-connection with her. Something more personal, more intimate. So once we got to the house, and she stopped squeaking, "too high, too fast!" I carried her straight into my bedroom.

I set her on the bed and slowly pulled off my leather coat, laying it over a nearby chair. Then I removed my tattered shirt, tossing it in a corner to be thrown out. Her mind seemed to clear around then and her eyes widened as she watched me. I drew down the zipper on my trousers and kicked them and my shoes off in one motion.

She was propped on pillows at the head of the bed. She continued to simply watch me as I knelt at the foot of the bed and slowly climbed up towards her. Her eyes started to glaze over with lust and she rolled slightly to the side to give me better access to the zipper on her very ripped dress. I slowly slid the zipper down, and she very obediently lifted her hips then raised her arms up for me to remove her dress. It got thrown into the corner along with my shirt. Her torn knickers met the same fate.

She rolled back onto the bed, and I slowly slid my body onto hers, relishing the skin on skin contact. She seemed to enjoy it, too, based on the low moan she made. Very slowly I ran one hand down the length of her, enjoying the new curves and dips in her figure. I cupped a breast, feeling its heavy weight in my hand. I ran the backs of my fingers down her side to her hip, again marveling at her tattoo, and turned my hand so that it traced the fuller curve.

"Kitten," I whispered, "Luscious. You're luscious."

"Bones," she moaned, reaching down to stroke my length. "Now."

"Oh, no, luv," I answered, moving her hand away. "I've waited a long time for this. I'm taking my time."

And take my time I did. I ran my hands and lips and tongue all over her, tasting and feeling and stroking. She kept a hand in my hair wherever I went, alternately stroking it or pulling at it, depending on where my mouth was. Her other hand she kept on my shoulder, either caressing or clenching.

I finally settled between her legs and lowered my mouth, and God, did she taste as good as I remembered. I took my time here as well, stroking, teasing, probing, ignoring or holding down her writhing hips and urges for faster, deeper, more, please, now, yes! Finally I felt her start to tremble against my fingers and I gave in, indulging her pleas and taking her over the edge. Just before she reached the peak of her pleasure, I turned my head to her thigh and bit.

She screamed and shattered all around me. I held on to her, drawing her into me, taking in not only nourishment but feeding her pleasure as well. Before she settled in to the drowsy calm after the storm of an orgasm, I moved between her legs and slid into her.

Instantly I felt her begin to tighten around me again, but I slowly pulled out and thrust back in, over and over, lifting her hips to palm her and pulling us more tightly together, prolonging her pleasure and taking my time with mine. She was so tight around me, and with each thrust I felt her tighten even more.

She wrapped her legs high around my ribs so I could go even deeper and clasped me tightly with her arms, a silken cage around me. Finally I looked down and saw her eyes, lit up glowing emerald, and I couldn't hold out anymore. I lowered my head to her shoulder, trembling, and bit. I heard her moan, felt her tighten even more and I lost myself completely.

* * *

Once her breathing calmed and we'd settled down, me on the pillows and her lying against my chest, our minds started working on things besides sex again.

"Do you think Ian was behind the hit man?"

"Not a chance. Ian wants you alive so he can add you to his collection. Be a bit hard to do that if your head was in pieces."

"How did you know to knock me out of the way?"

"I heard the shots go off. He didn't use a silencer."

I saw the look on her face. It screamed, "Holy shit, that was _fast_!"

"Not fast enough. One touched your skin. That's far too slow for me."

She gave an empty laugh. "That's faster than I even knew was possible. And the flying trick blew me away as well. Still, we can never go back to that restaurant again. You destroyed the place and didn't even pay for our wine."

"We both know what it has to be, Kitten," I said, ignoring that. "Obviously Don decided not to trust you."

She seemed to think it over, and then shook her head. "It's not Don. It doesn't make sense. Ellis said that he had originally been given the contract a week ago. That means the hit was planned before anyone knew you came into my life. Don had no reason to want me dead then. I was playing by all his rules."

I got out of bed and began to pace. "You're right. I'm still so bloomin' unsettled about almost wearing your brains, I'm not thinking clearly. Right then, Don looks clean. _Perhaps_. But then that means that there's a traitor at your compound. This isn't just some random contract by an undead bloke who wants the mysterious Red Reaper eliminated. This is someone who's privy to who you are, what you are, and your whereabouts. How many people does that equate to?"

She rubbed the wound near her hairline, thinking. "My entire unit, Don's scientists, some of the guards…about a hundred people."

That didn't make me happy. "That's a large number of suspects, and that means it won't take Ian long to pick up on you, either. I'll have to pay a visit to your work. Sniff out the potential Judases one by one."

"Bones." She got out of bed and marched over to me. "You don't understand. That place is heavily armed and heavily guarded. I should know, I helped design the security! There are only two ways a vampire can get inside the compound without a massive bloodbath. One way is shriveled. They store those vampires on ice for study. The other way is nearly as unpleasant—pronged with silver near the heart and transported inside our capsule. We keep those vampires alive for their blood to supply the Brams. That's it. End of story."

I'd have to think a moment on that. I tapped my finger on my chin. Then I remembered that Kitten hadn't gotten any dinner, plus we'd been very active, twice, so I picked up my cell and dialed the local pizza place. "Yes, thank you, I'll hold…Right, one large pizza, extra cheese, pepperoni, mushrooms. Two liters of Coke also. Um hmm, cash. Forty minutes? Here's the address…"

When I hung up, she blinked at me, confused. "Is that code for something?"

I laughed at that. She'd been in military mode too long. "Yeah, it's code. For a large pizza and soda. You never did have a bite to eat, and we can't have you starving on me. Don't fret; it's all for you. As you know, I'm full. Now tell me about this capsule."


	23. Je T'aime

_A/N: This is actually the second version of this chapter. A reviewer mentioned that there should've been more Bones POV after Cat's big ILY, and I just had a giant facepalm moment. Duh. My brain's busy trying to figure out how to write the scene at Justina's, and this one wasn't properly attended to, even though it should've been! So, sorry Wistar89 and thank you for bringing me to my senses!_

_Je t'aime, je t'aime toujour/I am forever yours  
Sweet dreams, sweet dreams mon cher/You're always in my prayer_

_Softly, sweetly/Wrapped up in heaven's arms _

_Sailing, soaring over the moon/Gathering star dust  
_

_Be still, be safe, be sure/Je t'aime, je t'aime toujour  
Wishing, praying/All of your dreams come true _

_Please remember/Where'er you are my heart is with you  
Sweet dreams, sweet dreams mon cher/Always in my prayer  
_

_I am forever yours_

_Je t'aime, je t'aime toujour_

- Kelly Sweet

I handed her my phone for the fifth time. She just gave it a withering glare.

"This is the worst idea you've ever had." Her voice was hoarse from arguing and I could hear her grinding her teeth, but I really wasn't a bit bothered by what had her in such a lather.

"This is the only way I can get within sniffing distance of whoever's trying to take you out. If they're a vampire or ghoul's lackey, I'll smell it on them. Or they'll try to run, or stink like fear. Either way, we'll know."

"Or you'll be packed on ice next to Switch."

"Not going to happen, pet. Make the call." I gave a pointed glance at my phone. With a last glare, she finally dialed.

"Don, it's me," she said when he answered.

"Cat, are you hurt?" Fair play to him. He sounded genuinely concerned.

"No, but someone's trying to change that. Look, I'm coming in; I'll see you in an hour. Don't let anyone, and I mean anyone, leave until I get there. Call in whoever's out. We have a rat."

"Of course, come in at once. We'll discuss it when you get here. But no one here could possibly be involved—"

"Do you want me to come in or not? These are my terms, and I'm pretty goddamn inflexible about them, since my head nearly parted company with my shoulders last night."

A pause and a sigh. "If that's what makes you feel safe. Where is, ah, your companion?"

"He went out, I don't know where. Right now I'm more worried about my own ass."

"Hurry in. I'll recall the teams, but if you don't arrive in an hour, I'm sending them back out."

When she hung up she almost flung the phone at me. "Happy now?"

I kissed the wound on her temple. "Not yet, but I will be. Go straight there; don't stop for anything."

She started to leave, then paused. "Bones, before we do this, I have to tell you something. You know I still care about you, obviously, but it's more than that. I'm…I still love you. I've never stopped, actually, even though I tried to snap out of it over the years. I don't expect you to feel the same way, but—"

Joy. Joyjoyjoyjoy_JOY_. My chest felt tight, like there was an ever tightening band around it, and I almost felt like I would pass out or throw up or both, which was ridiculous since I could do neither. But as soon as I heard her say, "I still love you," it was like my brain shut down and all I heard was those words pinging around my head like it was a pinball machine. I still love youI still love youI still love youI still love youI still love you. After years of wondering and worrying and speculation, here was proof. "I still love you."

It was all I seemed to hear until my brain switched back on and I caught up with what she was saying. I heard the doubt in her voice and I knew, and surely as I've ever known anything, that I had to erase that doubt. "I've never stopped loving you," I interrupted, crossing the room to hold her. "Not for an instant. Even when I was so angry at you for leaving me, I've always loved you, Kitten." Always. Alwaysalwaysalwaysalwaysalwaysalways.

I gave her a slow, deep kiss, like we had all the time in the world. She gave a shuddering sigh and pushed me back. "I'll give you another kiss later. Right now I'm too scared about what you're doing."

I smiled and traced her lower lip with my finger. "I'll look forward to it. There's one more thing, and you must swear to do exactly as I tell you. Take this." I placed a sealed envelope in her hand. "Hide this in your clothes and don't open it until I tell you. This is the information I'd been waiting for, and I need to be there when you see it. Swear to me you'll wait."

"Quit being melodramatic." She tucked the envelope in her bra. "Scout's honor, okay?"

"I love you." I really couldn't say it enough.

She stopped by the door, one hand on the knob. "Don't get killed. No matter what." Her look told me everything I needed to know.

"It shouldn't come to that, but if it does, I'll try not to kill any of them."

"Right," she said drily, "I don't know if they'll show you the same courtesy."


	24. Mother in Law

_A/N: All original content here. I originally tried to write this as dialogue between Bones and Justina, but that didn't feel right, so I went back and re-wrote it as just what Bones sees and thinks. I've always thought he must've been cracking up inside when Justina opened that door, so here is my little interpretation. Hope you enjoy._

_The worst person I know  
mother in law, mother in law  
she worries me so  
mother in law, mother in law  
if she leaves us alone  
we could have a happy home  
sent from down below  
mother in law, mother in law  
mother in law, mother in law_

_Satan should be her name_  
_mother in law, mother in law_  
_to me they're about the same_  
_mother in law, mother in law_  
_everytime I open my mouth_  
_steps in trying to put me out_  
_how could you stood so low_  
_mother in law, mother in law_  
_mother in law, mother in law_

_She thinks her advice is a contribution_  
_if she would leave that would be the solution_  
_don't come back no more_

- Herman's Hermits

Let the games begin. I dialed the phone and, as expected, nearly had my ear singed off from the moment the bloody woman heard my name. She even answered the telephone rudely, the cow. Still, I let her rant and only interjected the occasional, "Uh huh"s and "mmm"s and "indeed"s until she finally wound down and I got to my objective.

Which was, of course, to suggest that I come to her house so she and I could try to bury the hatchet. For Kitten's sake, obviously. Because the rift between Justina and I was causing Kitten so much stress and – I barely kept from laughing outright - heartache. She had so much drama in her life already with her job, poor thing, she didn't need any unnecessary stress in her personal life. I then had to listen to ten minutes of ranting about how if I staked myself, Kitten wouldn't have any extra stress in her life.

Then through the phone I could almost hear the light bulb go off in her head. Ding ding ding! If the filthy animal comes to my house, I can _of course_ say he harmed me and have a valid reason to call Catherine's team and have them come and kill him. Presto! Problem solved, back to my comfortable life with a miserable daughter.

Again, it was all I could do not to laugh outright as her tone changing and she pretended a grudging agreement to my request. Suddenly she became charm itself, or at least the closest she could come to it I presume. Here's my address; do you need directions? No? How is three o'clock for you? Perfect. Sorry I don't have any blood on hand and it would be uncouth for me to offer you mine since I assume you and my daughter – what? Whiskey? I'll just run to the store and get some. See you then.

After I hung up I finally let myself chuckle. Sodding woman; how had Kitten ever come from her? She must get her passionate side from her father, then. I settled down to wait for three o'clock.

Finally the time arrived and, laughing the entire way, I headed over to Justina's house. When she opened the door I found exactly what I had expected to see – all the furniture overturned and she'd even given herself a black eye – but that black eye had a gleam in it.

In the distance I heard sirens, and since time was of the essence, I skipped the formalities and asked Justina if she'd actually bought the whiskey – and par for course I got the expected answer of, "No, you alcoholic filthy animal!"

The sirens sounded like they'd turned the corner to her street, so with a sigh I went over to her and merely placed my hands loosely on her upper arms. As expected, she began to put up an almighty (fake) struggle as Kitten's team rushed through the door. In came the brawny brown haired bloke and following close behind was a Latino gentleman with dark hair that was tied back. Ah, this must be Juan.

I pretended to put up a struggle of my own – one of about an average strength vampire – as they surrounded me and allowed them to strap me into a container that looked for all the world like the giant egg from _Mork & Mindy_. Not sure if that's what Kitten had in mind when she designed it, but all thoughts on that subject fled as they got me into it because she wasn't lying and _fuck me_ those prongs hurt. In some choice places, too.

After they strapped me in and the prongs were in place, but before they closed the lid, I saw a look cross Tate's face. It was a look I'd seen before. A look that said, 'I really, really, _really_ want to kill you, and all that's holding me back is my honor.' I've probably given that look myself a hundred times. Juan came over and told him that they were going to hear me out before killing me – and he shut the lid, holding me in place so that even if the container was jostled, the prongs wouldn't move.

After that, I knew three things: I was on my way to Kitten as I'd promised her; I very probably owed Juan my life and at the least a very large favor; and I hated Tate.


	25. Family

_When it's family, you forgive them for they know not what they do  
When it's family, you accept them, 'cause you have no choice but to  
When it's family, they're a mirror of the worst and best in you  
And they always put you to the test  
And you always try to do your best  
And just pray for God to do the rest, when it's family_

- Dolly Parton

I felt the van stop moving and knew we must've arrived at Kitten's compound. Either that, or Tate had knocked out Juan and decided to kill me after all.

But soon enough, there was some rough jostling of the capsule – _Christ, was I glad none of those prongs could move!_ – and then even through the padded barrier of the lid I heard the jangling of alarm bells. There was more jostling, then the alarms stopped and the capsule seemed to be placed on some sort of counter or stand. Crazily my mind wondered if it was a bier for a coffin. Then I waited. And waited. And waited.

Just as suddenly, all the voices disappeared but two, the locks slid open, the top opened, and I was faced with Tate and Juan. Both of them looked pale and nervous, Tate holding a gun on me (I'm assuming with silver bullets) while Juan carefully removed the prongs.

When he was finished I casually sat up, even though I was a bit weak from blood loss. "Well that bloody feels better. Those prongs hurt like hell."

"They're supposed to," Tate snarled. Juan shot him a look but stepped back away from me, pulling his gun as well.

"Get in the elevator, _amigo_," Juan instructed. I complied, casually strolling into the open doors. Both he and Tate backed into the corner of the lift, guns drawn and sighted at me.

When the lift doors opened, the lights were out and Kitten was in front of them, waiting. She threw her arms around my neck, hugging me tightly, and tersely gave directions to her two blokes.

"Guard this door. No one gets close, not even Don."

"What are you doing?" Tate asked as they edged around us out of the lift.

"Giving him blood. That box drained him. He needs a refill."

"Cat, Jesus—" She hit the manual button and the lift doors closed, cutting him off.

"I knew you'd come through, luv."

She squeezed me again. "God, I've been worried sick these past few hours!"

To reassure her I truly was all right I kissed her gently, running my hands over her. She clutched me, feeling the holes in my clothes.

"No need for foreplay," she whispered as she broke the kiss. "Just bite me already."

That made me laugh. "You are ever impatient."

I pushed back her hair and let my lips slide to her neck. Not knowing how much time we had, I quickly found her artery with my tongue and sank my fangs into her skin – a bit more roughly than usual, but again, time was of the essence.

She shivered, and just as I lifted my head the lift doors opened. A gun cocked and Kitten whipped hers out of the rear of her trousers at the same time.

"Back off, Tate! You shoot and I fire back."

It didn't escape my notice that Juan also had his gun drawn, but it was lowered. I wiped a spare drop or two of Kitten's blood off my lips as I eyed Tate. I bared my my fangs as I said, "Don't fret over her safety, mate. I'd never hurt her, but I've seen the way you look at her, so you don't have that same pass." _Consider yourself warned._

"Tate," Kitten warned. "Drop the gun."

Tate stared at her. "Goddamn, Cat. I hope you know what you're doing."

"It's all right, Kitten," I said. "He won't shoot."

As if to prove my point, Tate lowered his gun. Suddenly I felt Kitten sway in my arms from blood loss. I took her gun and passed it off to Juan, who was staring at me with the strangest expression on his face.

"You called her Kitten? And she _let_ you? She put me in a _coma_ for three _days_ when I called her that! My balls never recovered from her smashing them into my _spine_!"

"And well she should have. She's my Kitten, and no one else's."

She poked me in the chest. "Do you mind? I'm a little woozy here."

"Apologies, luv." I lifted her up and cut into my tongue with my fangs before kissing her. Sure, I could've scored a finger and given her blood that way, but best let her bloke know now that she _was_ my Kitten and _no one_ else's.

Suddenly a gray haired older chap in a sharp business suit cut through the mass of people standing at the still open lift doors. He took one look at Kitten curled in my arms, feet dangling and demanded, "What the hell is going on?"

This must be D. Williams. Donald Williams, the man who basically blackmailed and then spirited Kitten off for years. Bloody bastard. I set Kitten down and was in front of him before he could blink. To give credit where credit is grudgingly due, he didn't try to run.

"You must be very determined to kill me to go to such lengths," he said flatly as he squared his shoulders.

"I'm not here for you, old chap," I replied, giving him a thorough look over. "I'm here to find out what rat you've got in your garden. But first we're going to have a chat, the three of us. You've kept her in the dark long enough."

"Tate, Juan, make sure no one comes through that door and no one tries to get frisky. The place is secured, but someone could pull a weapon. Keep sharp," Kitten instructed, before nodding in what I assumed was the direction to Don's office. "After you, boss."

The old chap had the brass balls to take his seat like it was a casual visit for tea and not the tense situation it was.

After we took the chairs across from his desk, Kitten said, "Don, I'd like to introduce you to Bones. The real Bones, not the impostor on ice in the fridge. You'll remember him from Ohio, where he gave the highway a whole new look."

"All these years, Cat," the old chap said with sadness. "You've been working the other side this whole time. Bravo, I was totally fooled."

She opened her mouth to give him a deservedly foul reply, no doubt, but I beat her to it. "You ungrateful sod, the only reason I'm not picking you out of my teeth now is because of her. She fancies you a decent man, not that I agree, and has in no way betrayed your trust. You can hardly say the same."

Kitten just rolled her eyes at that. "I haven't played you at all, Don," she said. "When I left Ohio, I thought I was leaving Bones behind for good. He tracked me down and found me only two weeks ago, and I have never done anything to betray this operation."

The old chap shook his head in self-rebuke. "I should have sensed a trap. No vampire ever surrenders. How did you get your mother to play along?"

"She didn't," Kitten stated. "Bones told her he wanted to meet without my knowledge. We knew what she'd do."

I snorted. "When I got to her house, she'd already blacked both her eyes and knocked over every stick of furniture in the place. But back to you, Don. For most of my years, I've had a trade. I find people, and I'm right good at it. So imagine my surprise when I had such a devil of a time tracking her, and then also my inability to find much out about her father. Now, failure to locate one I could see, but two? Both hidden so carefully, it was almost as if they were concealed…by the same person."

Kitten glanced at me and I felt her hand go clammy in mine. I squeezed it. "Two things always struck me as strange when she disappeared into the smoke. The first was how you found her so quickly. You showed up with all of her facts and figures the day she was arrested. Too pat, that. Such research takes time. You'd have to have been keeping tabs on her for a while, and how would you have known to do that? Only one way. You already knew what she was."

"What?" Kitten shouted, leaping from her chair. "Don, what have you been hiding?"

"Sit down, luv." She looked like she might sprint across the desk and throttle the old chap, but I gripped her to keep from killing him before I'd gotten my chance to have my say after all this time.

The old chap had turned the shade of vellum. I didn't let the possibility of him having a heart attack or similar stop me. "The second thing that stumped me was how there were no records of any recent deaths matching her father's description at the time her mother was raped. Not even any John Does. Ian's the one who solved that riddle. You know him as Liam Flannery, Don, and you sent her after him, but he wasn't her usual target, was he?"

"No," Kitten answered, since the old chap's mouth had thinned to a tight line. "He wasn't. Get to the point, Bones."

"I'd rather hoped Don would step up and finish it for me, but he's staying quiet. Probably hoping like blazes I'm only fishing, aren't you?"

No reply. I sighed. "Open that envelope I gave you earlier, Kitten."

Her fingers trembled as she drew the paper out of her shirt, ripping open the seal and unfolding the single page inside. She didn't bother to read the article; her eyes were glued on the photo of a bloke who looked startlingly identical to her. Her face paled as she took in the similarities.

There he was. I'd told her years ago, only the second day I knew her, that I'd help her find her father, and I had. An ex-FBI agent named Maximilian Williams. Once I'd gotten Don's name from Charles' government contact, I worked backward until it all fell together. And once I got hold of the article with the photo, I could understand Justina's comment of it being difficult because of Kitten's resemblance to the man who raped her, even if I couldn't justify the saying of it in front of her own child.

I watched Kitten carefully as she took in the page. Suddenly her eyes started to shift around, taking in other details besides her dad, and then I saw it click. She gave a nasty laugh then flung the page at Don.

"Well, isn't life just one big joke? One huge cosmic one-liner! I now know just how Luke Skywalker felt when Darth Vader told him who he was, only you're not my father. But you're his brother."


	26. Secrets

Sorry for the delay, got caught up reading something and am having a hard time pulling myself out of that bubble. Oh, and thank you to everyone who has favorite'd both me and this story – I appreciate it! I also appreciate reviews! *hint* :D Back to Bones…

_There's a room inside your gut/Close the door and keep it shut  
Let no daylight enter in/And the punishment begin_

_Who are you now to decide/Whether or not I can_  
_Be exposed to what you hide/Just be a strong and silent man_

_But every wrong turn that you make will also be my mistake_  
_Cause we're connected through our hearts_  
_And the devastating part is that I foolishly defended you to myself_  
_But secrets always have a way of coming out._

_I'm beginning now to see/What you must have thought of me_  
_In a body cast of glass/Life-changing information should just pass._

_But I don't break that easily/And if you'd dare then you would see_  
_That I've been carrying all the weight/Of the burdens on your plate._

- Maria Mena

Kitten was well and truly incensed, not that I blamed her.

"Should I call you Uncle Don? You son of a bitch, you sent me out on _how_ many suicide missions when you knew I was your niece? You and my mother have a lot in common—the two of _you_ should be related!"

The old chap had been mum up to this point, but he finally broke his silence. "Why would I think you'd be any different? Thirty-five years ago my older brother was investigating Liam Flannery, and then he disappeared. Years passed. We thought he was dead, and no one would tell us about the last case he'd been on. I joined the FBI myself to find out what had happened to him. Over time, I also found out what my brother had really been chasing. I vowed I'd continue his hunt and give him justice, but then one day out of the blue, he came to me. He told me to forget about Liam and the underworld I was tracking or he'd kill me. My own brother. I couldn't believe it.

"Six months later, your mother was attacked in the same city in Ohio I'd followed him to. When I read the description of her rapist, I knew it was him, and I knew that he'd finally crossed over. Then five months later, she gave birth to a child. One with a genetic anomaly documented at birth. Yes, I suspected all along, and made it a point to check up on you periodically while I created this department. Years went by, nothing happened, and I began to forget about you. Then your name came up in connection with a series of strange murders and grave robberies. I was already on my way back to Ohio when your grandparents were killed."

He gave a dark smile. "I also believe that life is a cosmic accident. Here God had given me the one thing strong enough to stop my brother and his kind, and it was his own daughter. Yes, I used you while waiting for the day when you'd turn as he did, but that didn't happen. When I finally believed you were different, I sent you to capture Flannery so I could use him to draw Max out. But as fate would have it, Liam got away. I'm guessing he's the one who sent the shooter after you last night."

Kitten looked a bit stunned at all this new information. I stepped in, giving her some time to process.

"It's not Flannery who hired that gunman. He wants her alive. No, it has to be someone else who's trying to kill her. Someone affiliated here."

He snorted. "How are you going to find out who this mythical traitor is? Torture all the staff?"

_Oh, for fuck's sake. I was really out of patience with this sod._ I glared at him. "For someone who's studied vampires for years, you certainly don't give them much credit. Forgetting these?" I flashed green into my eyes, hitting his face, and the old chap looked away.

"The spellbinding eyes of the nosferatu. Many days I'd wished I had the ability to glare the truth out of people, but without all the other consequences."

"Yes, well, there's a price for power and it always gets paid. Shall I let you go, Kitten, so you can bash his head in?" She seemed like she'd gotten her head wrapped 'round everything now, and I honestly didn't care if she splattered the bugger's skull like a cantaloupe.

"I should kill you for what you did to me, but I won't. I happen to understand wanting vengeance better than most people. It can make you do rash things, like sending your niece out to get killed so one day you can try to trap your brother. Besides"—she shrugged— "aside from my mother, you're the only real family I have left. You can come with us or stay, I don't care, but if you come, don't interfere. Think you can handle that?"

He rose. _Oh goodie, he was coming along. Yippy bloody yay._ "I can handle it."

Kitten's two blokes still stood outside the door. "Are we good, Cat?" the wanker inquired. I ignored him, as I was already busy assessing the assembled, agog staff.

"For now. Tate, you and Don can help. Let's start with the obvious. Where's the team? They know both what I am and where I live. After this room, they're our first stop." Kitten asked.

"We called in all thirty of them, they're in the training room, but they're armed in there, Cat. We'll have to bring them out in groups so they don't stake Mr. Pointy Teeth on sight." The sod gave me a disparaging look that I caught out of the corner of my eye, but as I was busy sniffing everyone I chose to ignore the look.

"Think I'd fret over a room full of humans?" I snorted. "Let them keep their toys; it'll teach them a valuable lesson. No matter how well she's trained them, they're not her."

Juan looked taken aback. "He can take on all of them when they have silver?"

"Yeah. Is that necessary, though, Bones? Time-wise? And you don't get to kill any of them; they're my men."

"Time-wise it's more efficient. All in one place is faster than group by group. Your culprit will be the one trying hardest to kill me. Or wetting himself, whichever. This room is clear—none of these people are your turncoat. Don't fret about your merry men, Robin Hood; they'll live to die another day."

"I want to be there." The old chap looked intrigued. "I don't get to see a Master vampire in action. I only see their messy end results."

"That's where you're wrong again," I said, chuckling lightly. "You've seen her fight for years, so you've seen a Master vampire in action. She just also has a heartbeat."


	27. Traitor

_A/N: Twice in one day! I felt bad about the last chapter being so short. So, this chapter isn't very exciting, either, but it had to be covered. But it was fun to write the Wreck Room scene from Bones' perspective down on the floor. Wistar89, the "orange" scene is coming soon! Should be up next. Tacobell, I know you wanted a funnier chapter, and I'm sorry this one isn't a chuckle fest, but the laughs will return after we get through this boring mole-searching brouhaha…_

_Where you gonna run to? Where you gonna hide?  
Bodies on the floor no one's getting out alive  
Death is in the air there's trouble all around  
Now you got it coming This time you're going down  
Deeds not words you should've told the truth  
You're a liar and traitor and now we got the proof_

_Liar and a traitor /And now we got the proof_

_Where you gonna run to?/Where you gonna hide?  
You're running for the door now/No one's getting out alive  
Where you gonna run to?/Where you gonna hide?  
You're running for the door now/No one's getting out alive  
_

- Dropkick Murphys

I entered Kitten's so-called 'Wreck Room' and smiled. She'd all but recreated the cave and woods where I'd trained her, indoors, with the addition of swinging ropes. Hmm. I should've thought of a way to work that into my training of her, myself. _Bloody _smart_ woman._

The lights were still out on the floor, with just the emergency exit lights still remaining. They gave the room an eerie glow and no doubt hindered her merry men, but didn't bother me in the slightest. I could see them in the dark – hell, I could _scent_ the blokes out one by one and take them down.

I'd insisted that Kitten, her uncle and her two mates wait in his box overlooking the area. This was for two reasons: one, I knew her, and if she thought someone, _anyone_, was getting close to harming me, her instincts would kick in and she'd let fly with a lethal blade. Then once she started thinking clearly again, she'd never forgive herself. Two, I didn't want her getting harmed in all the confusion. If someone harmed her, I'd kill him, no hesitation, then have to heal her. And once she was thinking again, she might understand and forgive, but she'd never truly forget a lost member of her team and she'd forever feel responsible. So it was best she stay out of it entirely. Her bloke Tate, on the other hand, was welcome to come down and have a go…

Her troops filed in, looking confused for a moment as to why they were being told to go into a darkened room. When my face shone in the pale light, I could see the terror cross their faces, then her training kicked in and they began shouting orders to each other as they went what the formations she'd taught them.

I could see the merits of her plan, and the tight formations of men worked to some advantage, but not against a vampire as old and as strong as me. I went leaping and bounding into them, sending them rolling across the floor. And that was when I was going slowly. When I really turned on the speed, they were simply no match for me whatsoever. Above me, I heard Juan's voice, sounding a little stunned.

"Christos. Look at him _fly_."

Her bloke gave a bitter snort. "Years of work, right down the fucking drain. Makes me want to beat them myself."

"Cooper's trying to rally them," Kitten noted. "Oops, down he goes. Goddamn, Bones can really hit like a sonofabitch. I'll need a pint of his blood after this to heal them all."

"What makes you think he'll do that?" her uncle asked, skepticism clear in his voice.

"Because I'll _ask_ him to, that's why. You really are thick. He climbed into our hell capsule for me earlier, yet you think he'll refuse to donate a little blood to make me happy? Dumb ass." I mentally applauded her brass balls _and_ her demeaning comment as I continued to take the men down, one by one. The old chap didn't comment again after that.

After the last bloke went down, I gave him an absentminded kick and called out, "All right, Kitten. They're clean. Not a bad bunch of blokes." The bloke on the ground just groaned.

I looked up in time to see Kitten shake her head at Tate's rather stunned expression. "I told you he taught me everything I know. Kick 'em when they're down. That was his favorite rule. You're familiar with the rest of them."

"Goddammit, Cat, he's been in there less than ten minutes. How can he tell that none of them are involved? Most of them aren't even conscious now!"

"I trust him," she said simply. "Bones wouldn't say it unless he was sure, and that's enough for me." _Christ, I loved her._

Juan still had a dazed look on his face as he took in his teammates, prone and beaten on the ground. Then he smiled. "That," he grinned, "was cool!"

We searched area by area, floor by floor as I nosed around for the accomplice to Kitten's hitter. Once we hit the pathology floor, however, I smelled the distinct smell of fear. Sickly and sour, it spoke volumes that there was someone very afraid on this floor, and that someone knew that there was no way out. As soon as the lift doors opened, my eyes lit up at the scent and I gave Kitten a quick kiss before pushing her back inside it and picking up my pace.

"Stay here," I said quickly. "I smell something."

I went into the next room with Juan and Don following. I noted that Kitten's bloke stayed back with her. Even behind me and muttering, I could hear him.

"This is a wild fucking goose chase. Smells something? What can he smell—"

Kitten cut him off with a "Shh! He's got someone," before brushing past him after me.

In the pathology lab, there was a young bloke who made a valiant, but vain, effort to scramble away from me then he squeaked as I had him by the throat and up against the wall.

"Well, now, what do we have here?" I sneered. "No, you're not turning away, look right here at me…"

My eyes lit the room a pale green. I got straight down to business. "Right then, where were we? Tell me all about what you've been up to, and be specific. You can start with any partners."

"One," the sod mumbled. "He looks just like her."

Behind me, I could feel Kitten and her uncle both freeze. I glanced back at her once then turned my attention back to the sod I had on the wall.

"Indeed? Now, tell me everything else…"

This time, instead of Kitten Juan and her bloke took notes and she just listened, her face immobile, as yet again a plot to kill her was detailed. The sod called him by a different name, but the hitter was clearly her da. Seems once Ian pieced together the resemblance between the Red Reaper who'd come calling for him and the Max in his line, her da had decided fatherhood wasn't for him and decided to do something about it. He tracked her down by tracking his brother, knowing he had to be the one behind her. Find one and the other wasn't far, Max had assumed correctly.

Seems that, knowing the inside workings of the FBI and how his brother thought, Max'd made it far, fast. All he'd needed then was someone who knew enough and could be bought, and that man I now had dangling against the wall. His plan had almost worked. Had Kitten not been with me, even being as fast as she is, she wouldn't have been able to outpace a bullet.

When I'd gotten all the information I thought there was to be had, I passed the buck to her uncle. "You have any more questions for him?"

The old chap looked genuinely stunned. "No, I can safely say you covered it. Tate? Juan? Anything else?"

When they shook theirs heads, I again threw the ball to her uncle. "Fancy locking him up?"

Surprisingly, he just waved a hand. "You know we're not letting him live, not with what he knows. Just don't make a mess."

Her bloke's temper went off. "For Christ's sake, we can take him below and shoot him!"

"Don't be childish, Tate," the old chap snapped. "Bullet or bite, the end's the same, and it's his right. He found him; we didn't. Cat would be dead soon if he hadn't, and despite what she thinks of me, I don't want that to happen."

He stared straight at Kitten as he said the last part; he was giving her the unusual peace offering of the mole's jugular.

"Make it fast," she said. "I know you want to take your time, but don't. He's not worth it."

She and Don stayed, unbothered about the coming event. Juan shuffled his feet a bit but did the same. Her bloke flounced out the room in a girlish huff. The audience didn't bother me. I sank my fangs straight into the sod's artery, swallowing again and again until his heart slowed and eventually stopped. As requested, it was fast and neat.

"There you are, old chap," I said as he let the sod fall to the tile. "Not a drop spilled."

Kitten stepped over the body and came to me for a kiss. Knowing she probably didn't want a taste of copper, I gave her one on the forehead.

"You know I'm going after him, Don," she stated.

"Yes, I know." The chap took in the two of us together and tugged his eyebrow. "I want to speak in private with you, Cat. There are some things we need to discuss."

"We can speak, but Bones is coming. Really, even if he couldn't hear us, which he can, I'd just tell him later." _Good on you, Kitten! God, I love this woman._

I gave her uncle a smug smile. He cleared his throat. "If you insist. Juan, would you remove…?" He gestured vaguely at the body on the floor as we followed him back to his office.


	28. Orange

_A/N: This chapter is brought to you by the letter "O", the fruit "orange," and is dedicated to my dedicated reviewer Wistar89, who has been waiting patiently for it. And Tacobell, I hope I've made it funny enough for you this time._

_You're an ORANGE!/You're an ORANGE!  
You're an ORANGE!/You're round and juicy and sweet  
You're an ORANGE! (You're an ORANGE!)  
You're an ORANGE! (You're an ORANGE!)  
You're an ORANGE! (You're an ORANGE!)  
You're full of vitamin C/Here in my hands it's a lovely orange  
And it's round and I think it has a really yummy taste  
And the skin has pores/And it's juicy sweet, and it peels,  
And I gotta say I think it's kinda neat_

- Psychostick

I still had a smug smile on my face as I filed into the old chap's office behind Kitten. She was right, I would be able to hear them, but again I admired her brass balls – _and loved the hell out of her for standing up for us_ – in insisting I come along. Additionally, I was quite curious as to what he wanted to talk about, although I had a fair idea.

"Are you leaving us?" he asked as soon as the door was shut.

Kitten took a slow look around his office before bringing her gaze back to him. She spent a few quiet moments considering him, seeming to weigh his sins against his virtues. Then I could almost see the wheels start to spin in her brain, and I mentally groaned before she even gave her answer. Knowing her like I did, I knew what it would be.

"No."

A relieved sigh came from her uncle, but I was beyond frustrated. I ran my hand through my hair in mindless reflex. "Bloody hell. You just won't take the easy road."

"I need to do this."

I contemplated her for a moment, working out in my mind all the details of how my plan would play out. When I had everything in place, I turned to Don. "The only way you're keeping her is if I'm with her. Consider it a two-for-one deal. I won't stop her from doing what she considers her job, but I will _not_ see her die for it. None of those men are strong enough to back her up, but I am. You want her? Then you'll get me also."

Out of anything they could expect from me, clearly this wasn't it. Both Kitten and her uncle gaped at me. Don recovered first.

"You can't expect me to allow a vampire inside an operation designed to _kill_ vampires!

That's not even lunacy—it's suicide!"

_Bloody hell. Was he barmy? Seems I'd have to spell it out for him, step by step._ I gave him a patient smile and sat in a chair near his desk, drumming my fingers along its edge.

"Look, mate, I could give a rot about your operation, but do happen to care a great deal about her life, so I'm going to make you an offer, and you're going to accept it."

The old chap blinked at my frankness, and Kitten too looked taken aback. "Why does the success of your missions hinge on her? Because she's your strongest fighter. Without her, you have a group of men who might do jolly well in a regular war, but against ghouls and vampires, they're roadkill. You know it, too. That's why you got your knickers in a twist when you discovered how lethal she was at twentytwo. And don't think I've forgotten that it was _your_ manipulating that kept me alone the past several years. Just for that, I'd fancy peeling your skin off like an orange while you were alive and screaming, but that's off topic."

"Quite," Kitten bit out.

I ignored that and went on. "But since she insists on still working here, we have to come to an arrangement. As skilled as she is in battle, no one is infallible. If she went down in a fight right now, your operation would be finished, since you have no one strong enough to replace her. This is the first part of what I'm offering. You will never have to fret about her coming back from a job, because unless I'm shriveled on the ground, she will."

"You want to work for me?" he asked in astonishment.

_Seriously, _how_ barmy was he? Like I'd take orders from a tosser like him. Or anyone, really, except for her, and even then only in certain instances. For example, some naughty ones… wait, I've gone off topic._ Back in the here and now, I laughed. "Not for you, old chap. For her. She's the only one I'd listen to, anyway."

Kitten looked as stunned as her uncle. Suppose she never thought I'd take orders from anyone. _Except her, urging me to go faster… bloody hell, off course again._

I paused a beat and reached for her hand. "I'm not fretting over control with you. You can have all of the command you desire as long as we're together. I'll just save my demands for the bedroom."

She blushed. The sight made me give a naughty chuckle and I kissed the hand I held. She was still a bit of a prude after all this time; she looked like she wanted the floor to swallow her up.

Her uncle also looked uncomfortable with the topic, so he quickly changed it. "What's the second part of your offer?"

_The next part of my plan… I wasn't particularly looking forward to this, since I had a fair idea of who would want to lose his pulse with the misguided notion that he could protect her, but if thats what it took to keep Kitten, I wouldn't welsh on my promise._

I sat up. "Ah, the second part, and this is why you won't refuse me. I can give you what you've been secretly itching for ever since you started your little science project here."

"And what do you think that is?" the old chap asked, with heavy irony.

"Vampires," I promptly responded. "You want to make your own vampires."

"No he doesn't!" Kitten jumped in.

But the old chap didn't rush to agree with her. No, he was looking at me like I was a science experiment, one that had just had a very unexpected but interesting outcome.

I reclined lazily back in my chair. "You want what every commander of troops wants— loyal soldiers who are stronger than your enemy. How many times have you wished more of your team had her powers? How often have you longed for soldiers blessed with the same advantages your enemies had? This is a onetime offer, mate. You choose your best, and I'll make them better."

Kitten looked stunned. Her uncle seemed to be thinking the offer over. Finally, he set his hands on his desk.

"What if after they crossed over, they turned on us? That happens, as I know, and then I'd have unleashed mayhem on myself and my remaining team."

_Again. Barmy. Completely barmy. A… B… C…_ "Simple. They threaten you, then they threaten her and I kill them. I wouldn't hesitate for a moment to eliminate a danger to her, and you already have two bodies to prove that. However, a period of apprenticeship might rest your mind. Pick your potentials and give them raw blood. See how they handle the new power. If they can't control a little, then they can't control the rest of it. But if they can…" I drew out, hoping this time he'd clue in.

"Let me get this straight," he said. _Please God, Allah, Yahweh, may he have _finally_ caught on._ "You'll accompany Cat on missions in order to minimize her risk. You'd also agree to change selected soldiers into vampires. They would be under your supervision, terminated if necessary, and directed by me via her. Do I have this right?"

_Ah ha!_ "Yes." There was absolutely no hesitation in my reply, lest he lose the train of things again. Kitten still seemed in shock over the whole thing, but I had no question that she'd followed the plot. She'd run rings 'round this fellow.

"Anything else?" I asked quickly, just in case there were still points I needed to clear up.

"I have some conditions," She finally spoke up. "My schedule changes. Your operation just got seriously upgraded, Don, so I don't want to hear any complaints. First, no more surveillance. I better not see _or_ hear any of my team spying on me anymore, because after tonight, my location's going to be secret. That way, no one can torture or green-eye the information out of them, or have them just give it up for money, like Brad Parker did. And everything else waits until my father is taken care of. Your brother takes priority, don't you agree, _Uncle_?"

The old chap was quiet for a moment. Finally he gave an ironic smile.

"Well, Cat, Bones… I guess we have an agreement." Bloody_ brilliant._


	29. How to Annoy Tate

**A Recipe For How To Annoy Tate Bradley In 10 Easy Steps Or Less (A Right Enjoyable Pastime)  
By: Crispin Phillip Arthur Russell III**

_Maybe I annoy you with my choices  
Well, you annoy me sometimes too with your voice  
But that ain't enough for me  
To move out and move on_

- Jason Mraz

Having come to an accord about her – _our_ – new working arrangements, Kitten and I still had a few loose ends to tie up. I groaned mentally as she started with Justina.

"Is my mother still here?"

"She's in one of the bunkers," Don replied. "You want to see her?"

"No. But keep her here." _Whew_. "If my father knew where to find me, then she's not safe at her house."

"We also can't have your team wandering around for Max to snatch them up and discover I'm involved, Kitten," I mentioned, although personally I'd feed Tate to Max, but that was clearly the minority opinion at my new job. "As for the rest of your employees, round them up. They won't remember seeing me."

"What about Noah?" Don asked, and Kitten flinched.

"He doesn't know anything."

"That's not what he means," I said, pleased that I managed to keep my voice carefully neutral. "Noah would make right good bait for you, whether or not he knows why. Max might reckon you still hold feelings for him."

Kitten considered that. "Then put a watch on Noah, Don, work and home. Any sign of the supernatural, and we move in. Maybe we can catch Max at his own trap."

"I'll make the call now," her uncle promised, picking up his phone.

We stood to leave, and Kitten looked a bit anxious for a split second before squaring her shoulders. "Bones, while you and Don play Bright Eyes with the other staff, I'm going to talk to the team about your new status."

I grinned. This should prove priceless. Too bad I wouldn't be able to hear most of it. "Give your bloke my regards, Kitten. Can't wait to start working on him."

She frowned. "_With_ Tate, Bones. Not on him."

I just grinned wider. "Right."

I was strolling back towards Kitten's office, my eyes fading back to brown, when I heard a voice I recognized from the Wreck Room drift from it.

"… he whipped our asses, Commander. If he wanted us dead, I guess we would be."

"He's the same vampire who trained me, Coop. Oh, and I'm sleeping with him, to save Tate the trouble of announcing it next. Got a problem with any of that?" Kitten replied. Ah, this was Cooper.

"You're a freak. Why wouldn't you want a freak also?"

"I don't fucking believe this," her bloke spit out just I came into the room. For effect, I went and wrapped my arm tightly around Kitten.

"Feeling better, mate?" I asked Cooper. "If not, you will soon. Don drained a pint out of me just now, Kitten. Seems the head pathologist didn't want to stick me himself. Poor bloke was quite jittery, though I can't imagine why."

"Could be because you made dinner out of his assistant, amigo," Juan commented drolly.

Cooper turned dark eyes to me in an inquiring glance. He only seemed interested, not too concerned. I could quite like him, as well.

"We're letting him eat people?"

"Apparently," Tate growled.

"Brad Parker plotted with another vampire to put me out of my misery, Cooper." Kitten glared at Tate. "You heard about last night? Well, you can thank the late Mr. Parker for giving away my location and my weaknesses."

Cooper eyed me again, then blithely shrugged. "So he deserved it. Too quick, though. He should have been hurt first."

I snorted with laughter, my lips against Kitten's temple. "You and I will get along famously, soldier."

"Fucking asshole," Tate muttered, and Kitten's temper went off.

"I want you with me on this, Tate, but I can't force you. Are you in or are you out? Decide now." She glared at him, bristling.

He folded his arms and glowered at me. "I'm in, Cat. I'd never leave you. Especially when you've got death breathing down your neck."

"Very funny," she retorted, since I was nuzzling her cheek just to annoy him. "And as you know, he doesn't breathe. Now that details about our new team member are settled, I'm leaving. I've got a family reunion to plan."

At that, my good humor darkened. _Ah, yes, the father-in-law_. I couldn't wait to meet him.


	30. Justify

_A/N: Okay, this one was really hard to write. I'm not a big Mencheres fan, so I usually skip this when I re-read the book. It was really difficult to turn it around and write it from Bones' perspective, keeping enough of the original but not reiterating everything as Cat saw it. He doesn't have his usual good humor because he's torn between loyalty to his sire and desire to protect the woman he loves. It also wasn't easy to convey Bones' inner thoughts on Ian, and how came up with his plans to try to avoid alienating one and endangering another. The whole time I kept thinking, 'Arg, arg, arg…' LOL_

_Poor is the man  
Whose pleasures depend  
On the permission of another_

From 'Justify My Love'

- Madonna

My thoughts went 'round and 'round on how to eliminate Max without giving away Kitten's half-breed secret. I wasn't sure that would be possible, given the nature of everything I would need to reveal to Ian to have him cut Max from his line so I'd have unfettered access to him. But I still kept working on possibilities.

I'd done some research on the hits Max had put out on Kitten. Both had been paid from a personal account. I was still working on tracing who owned the account, but I'd bet my undead life it was him. I'd just have to find a way to prove it.

As for Ian's interest in Kitten, that was a bit trickier. Ian and I had centuries of good and bad times between us, but without Ian's intervention I'd be dust in the Australian ground. It's hard to contemplate ending the person who had given you a second life. I felt like I was caught between a rock and a hard place. But when weighed against Kitten, Ian came in far behind.

To avoid a brawl with Ian, the first part of my plan was to become Master of my own line. It was well past time. I was old enough, strong enough, a Master vampire and a sire and grandsire many times over. I'd just never bothered to make it official as Ian rarely interfered in my life. As a form of insurance against coming to blows with Ian, however, I was going to call in my trump card: my grandsire. Mencheres might have changed Ian over first, but for some reason time and again he had backed me when Ian and I disagreed.

To do that, first I had to call and ask him. He'd agreed, but on the condition that we do it in secret. My grandsire was famous for skirting questions, his homes all over the globe and his frequent desire to keep his location as quiet as possible. I suppose at his age you make many, many enemies, have constant demands for your time and struggle to get as much privacy as you can get.

Subsequently, Kitten and I found ourselves on the Virginia Tech campus. I led her below ground into the warren of old tunnels not frequented much anymore. When she had questioned me before we left, I hadn't told her exactly whom we were going to meet, just that it was a very important vampire. It was a Mencheres-like way of avoiding directly answering, I thought with a mental snort of laughter. He would've appreciated it.

"I thought you said we were meeting some big important vampire. Did you just stop here because you wanted to grab a bite to eat first?" she asked when she first saw the campus sign.

I chuckled. "No, luv. This is where we're meeting him. Well, under here, as it were."

Her brows skeptically. "_Under_ here?"

I took her arm. "Follow me."

After winding our way down tunnels and through gates, we came to a stop at a grille. I ripped off the lock. "We couldn't have just met at a Starbucks?" she remarked as we went through.

I closed the grille behind us. "Less chance of anyone seeing or overhearing us down here. No one knows Mencheres is even in the States yet."

"And you said Mencheres is the same vampire who made Ian," she mused. "So that makes him, like, your fang granddaddy."

We went further underground, twisting and turning through tunnels as I answered. "He's my grandsire, yes, but more importantly, he's a very powerful vampire who Ian wouldn't want to cross. Since your father, Max, is a member of Ian's line and still under his protection, any attack against Max would be the same as an attack against Ian in the vampire world."

"But the fact that Max tried to have my head blown off is okay?" she grumbled.

"You have no Master claiming you under their line," I responded calmly. "You remember I told you vampires operated under a form of feudalism? When one vampire changes another, they take that person under their protection, and conversely, so does the head Master. But you weren't changed—you were born, so no vampire's ever claimed responsibility for you. That makes you without a Master to defend you against any outside attack."

"So just killing Max once I find him could set off a full-out war with Ian's people, like there aren't already enough problems with your horny sire to begin with."

I nodded. "Which is why I'm going to change your status in the vampire world. I'll claim you under my protection, but first I'll need to break free from Ian's line. Otherwise, anything I claim as mine is also his, since he's head of our line. That's why we're meeting with Mencheres. Ian would be a damn sight less likely to retaliate against me if Mencheres chooses to ally himself to my side," I explained.

We kept heading steadily underground. "How about you just kill Ian and I kill Max?" she suggested. "That would solve a lot of undead political hassle, if you ask me."

I stopped. _How do you explain the bond between a vampire and their sire?_ I grasped her shoulders and tried to figure out how to word it. "If it came to a choice between you or Ian, Kitten, yes, I would cut him down. But despite our many feuds over the years, or the fact that he's being a ruthless sod in his pursuit of you…" I closed my eyes. _This was proving near impossible._ My mind whirred. "We have a bond," I finally continued. "Ian changed me into what I am, and he's been a part of my life for well over two centuries. If there's a way to solve this without killing him, then that's the route I'll seek."

A look of shame crossed Kitten's face. "I'm sorry. Of course you couldn't just kill him. I couldn't, either, when I knew who he was."

I smiled tightly. "I may well have to kill him before this is over. But if I do, at least I'll know it was my only choice."

We kept walking. One last turn and we reached the underground stream. "This is where we meet Mencheres."

"No way," she snorted.

We waited a moment, then there was a grating noise and Mencheres stepped through a hidden door in the wall. Kitten's mouth hung open in amazement.

"Grandsire. Thank you for coming." I went towards him.

"Bones," he said, giving me his usual hug in greeting. "It has been too long."

I turned and proudly introduced her. "This is Cat."

She stepped forward and awkwardly stuck out her hand, not sure what to do. _Oh. I didn't think to teach her the finer points of vampire etiquette before we came_.

Mencheres gave her a slight smile in return and took her hand. I'd forgotten to mention just how old he was as well, so I could tell his power pretty much overloaded her system. Good on her though, she managed to shake his a moment without even a shudder to get the tingling out.

Introductions done, I dove right in. "I'm leaving Ian's line," I announced. "Ian wants her, and she wants to murder one of his people, so you can see why I need to shirk my loyalties to him and be head of my own line."

Mencheres glanced at her. "Do you really think killing your father will make anything in your life better?"

She was so surprised by the question she stuttered a bit. "Uh, yeah. _Hell_ yeah, in fact. For starters, I wouldn't have to worry about hit men sighting my head in their scopes, and for another, I think it would be really, really satisfying."

"Vengeance is the emptiest of emotions," he dismissed.

"Beats suppressed rage," she retorted.

I could see this was going nowhere, fast. "I didn't say it was her father she wanted to kill," I said, trying to re-steer the conversation back to the point. "How did you know that, Grandsire?"

Kitten looked curious, but Mencheres just shrugged. "You already know how."

_Ah. Should've known_. Kitten still looked curious. "And?" she prodded.

"Mencheres sees things," I explained. "Visions, glimpses of the future, that sort. It's one of his powers."

"Got any stock tips?" she asked devilishly. "The government doesn't pay shit for salary."

"Are you going to claim her as one of yours?" he asked, ignoring her. "Is that why you wanted to meet with me? To ask for my support should you go to war with Ian over her?"

"Yes," I said steadily. Then Mencheres gave Kitten a look that had her shifting around uncomfortably. _Uh oh. Looks like I forgot to tell her one other important fact, and it also looks like she has about as much tact in her mind as she does out loud_. I sighed.

"Kitten, I'm guessing I need to inform you that Mencheres can also read humans' minds, and from his expression, half-breeds, too."

"Whoops," she said. Then her eyes narrowed. "Not vampires' minds, I take it, or you wouldn't have phrased it that way."

"No, not vampires' minds," I replied with a half smile. "Unless you've been hiding something, Grandsire."

Mencheres also had a small smile. "If I did have that power, it would have saved me from many wrong decisions. No, just humans. And half-breeds. Have you told her under what pretext you'd claim her as yours, Bones?"

_Let the fireworks begin_. I tensed. "Fess up," she demanded.

_In for a penny, in for a pound._ I met her eyes. "Every vampire is territorial. You know that. I found you, I bit you, and I shagged you. All before Ian ever laid eyes on you. In the vampire world, that makes you my…my property, unless I willingly relinquished my rights to—"

"Son of a bitch!" she exploded. "Bones! Tell me you did not intend to growl over me like I was some slab of meat you didn't want to share!"

"I don't see you that way, so why does it matter what loophole I utilized?" I fired back. "I frankly don't see why Mencheres even had to bring it up."

"Because I refuse to side with you unless she is aware of all the ramifications," Mencheres answered smoothly.

She huffed in outrage. "And he didn't need special powers to figure out I'd be pissed. Neither did you, obviously, because you sure left that detail out. No way, Bones. No. Way. Go ahead, declare your independence from Ian and be Master of your own line. But you can forget about calling yourself _my_ Master, loophole or no loophole."

_Sometimes I marvel at how her brain conveniently skips over certain details._ "You do realize you're being a hypocrite?" I asked witheringly. "Just the day before yesterday, I told Don truthfully that I'd take your orders on missions, but here you refuse to let strangers even think you'd heed mine?"

She opened her mouth – then shut it. She thought for a moment. "There has to be another way," she tried. "Instead of skirting around Ian with sexist loopholes, there's got to be something we can do to make him agree to leave me alone."

"It's not sexist." Mencheres shrugged. "If Bones was a woman and you were a man, he'd still have the same claim over you. Vampires don't discriminate by gender. That's a human failing."

"Whatever," she snapped. I saw the wheels begin to turn in her brain again, and she grinned at me. "You're going to tell Ian you found me. And you're going to offer to bring me to him."

I sighed. _Bollocks. Time to think of yet another kind of insurance._


	31. Who Wants to Live Forever?

_And we can have forever,  
And we can love forever,  
Forever is our today,  
Who wants to live forever,  
Who wants to live forever,  
Forever is our today,  
Who waits forever anyway?_

- Queen

After Kitten shook up my original plan for Ian, I'd been a bit hesitant to hear what her Ian 2.0 plan was. After all, she had proved in the past that she wasn't always the best at strategy. I'd heard her out, added some changes of my own, and we'd come up with what I fervently hoped was the most solid, airtight plan our two dastardly heads could produce. Now all that was left was to bring in the rest of the players.

Our first stop was Kitten's work. When we got to his office, her uncle was going over the lab reports of my blood work.

"Cat. Come in. I'm just going over the pathology reports from the other day." Chap looked positively gleeful. "You have quite a massive component in your blood. We could practically get rid of our other in-house vampires if we siphon a pint a week from you."

"Going to tap me like a tree?" I chuckled. "Bit of a greedy bloodsucker yourself, aren't you?"

"We came for a reason, Don. You may as well call in Juan, Tate, and Cooper. Then we'll only have to go over this once," Kitten directed.

Don made the call, and the others filed into the room a few minutes later. When the door shut, Kitten launched in.

"You all know I'm a half-breed. What you don't know, and what I didn't until recently, was that the vampire who raped my mother is Don's brother." The old chap looked put out at their family closet door being flung upon and the skeletons left swinging wildly, but she ignored him and continued.

"You remember Liam Flannery from New York? His real name is Ian, and he's the vampire who made Bones. Ian's also the vampire who made my father, Max. Don's known that one, too, for years—it's the real reason why we were sent to bring him in. So after we tangled, Ian got all excited over my being a half-breed and decided he wanted me as his new flavor of the week. According to Bones, Ian's the type who won't hesitate to use people I care about to ensure my compliance. There's a way to get him off my back without an all-out bloodbath, but it's dangerous."

Here was where I had almost had to argue myself back into my grave. Kitten wanted to just offer to fight Ian one-on-one, but I know my sire, and that's not his style. Bloke has to feel that he is the one in control, and there was only one way to ensure that. Which was how we wound up sitting in Don's office - we needed our supporting cast.

Kitten still looked a bit dubious about the merits of bringing others in on this (bloody woman is almost as stubborn as Ian – or is it the other way 'round?). I sighed and picked up the plot. "Look, in order for her to turn the tables on Ian, he needs to be confident that he's got something over her. A valuable hostage, more specifically. Now, Ian's a smart bloke who likely wouldn't kill someone who's a useful bargaining tool, but there are no guarantees. She intends to rescue whoever's bait, then use Ian's guards as bargaining chips to force him to swear to leave her alone. If Ian makes a blood oath promising that, he'll be bound by it in the vampire world, and he would be looked on very shoddily if he refused to bargain for his people out of mere lust. But until she gets there…there will be no one to ensure the safety of whoever volunteers."

Silence. The three looked at each other for a moment; you could see the wheels in their minds' working out the details of the plans and what would be necessary to complete it.

_Aaaaand_… just as I predicted, Tate was the first to break it. _Martyr_. Still, at least he's making himself a useful annoyance for once. "This'll keep a vampire from hunting you, Cat? Then count me in."

Her uncle coughed. "There must be a different approach we could take…"

"Me, too, _querida_," Juan added. "That _pendaho_ can have two worms on the hook instead of one; it will look better."

Cooper chimed in as well. "I'm in. Who wants to live forever?"

Kitten looked alarmingly like she might cry. Her uncle started to stand up, still objecting. I headed him off at the pass.

"Save it, old chap. They're grown men, and it's not like they've been gardening these past years, is it? Besides, I knew they'd all offer, and here I've only just met them. How could you expect any differently?"

"Cat, you can't take the three top members of my team into a hostile nest the likes of which they've never seen! If they all died, it would destroy this operation, utterly finish it!"

He thumped his desk in frustration. I gazed at him, wondering at what point in someone's life does the preoccupation with work totally overshadow the concept of family. Finally, I said evenly, "Here and now, decide which is more important to you. Your niece…or the risk to these men and your operation. We all make choices we have to live with. This is yours."

"And it's not like they're docile lambs," she added. "They're not just bait—they're Trojan horses. Whoever Ian picks to guard them will never expect how tough they are. They've been fighting vampires for a long time, Don. If I didn't think they could handle it, I'd never let them volunteer."

They glared at each other, grey eyes clashing. I'd laid out my odds for the old chap's call on this, too…

Her uncle caved first. "I pray to God you're not wrong to trust this creature, Cat. If he's played you, we'll all go down in flames for it. He'd better be as good as he is arrogant."

_Four out of four_. _Ha bloody ha!_ I smiled triumphantly. "Don't fret, mate. I'm not playing her, and I _am_ as good as I am arrogant. After all, I had you pegged. She was sure you'd refuse. I told her you wouldn't." He still looked worried.

"It will take a few weeks to assemble everything," I went on, "and the three of you will be busy until then. If things go south, you'll need to react quickly. You all know the price behind drinking vampire blood, right?"

Cooper had to be filled in. In what I was learning was typical fashion for him, he took it well, just snorting in disbelief.

"Welcome to the freak club," Kitten sympathized. "All of you will need to be immune to vampire mind control, and blood's the only way to do that. Anyone who refuses will stay back. I won't risk your lives, or the lives of those around you, by letting some vamp green-eye you into submission."

"I'm up for juicing," Tate was the first to jump in again. That wanker was probably a hall monitor in school. "But you won't mind if I refuse to suck blood off his tongue like you did?"

I laughed. "Don't fret; you're not my type. Anyone else have a concern?" No voices. "Right then. Let's go to the lab, so Don can put my vein on tap again. Really, old chap, you're as excited over my blood as any vamp is over a juicy artery. Sure you're not hiding some family traits?"

"That's not funny," Don retorted but stood and followed me to the lab.

Before sitting down to be stuck, I gave the wanker a once-over. "Ready for an upgrade? After your first dose, I'm going to beat the seven shades of shit out of you to see how much you can take."

"Bring it on," he shot back. "Cat's been pounding on me for years. _Years_. How long have you spent with her, combined? Only six months?"

_Okay, Ian be damned, I'm killing this sod._ I grabbed him, ready to start ripping off body parts and beating him with the stumps, but Kitten grabbed my arm.

"Quit it! Tate, enough of the taunts, and Bones, _how_ old are you? Why don't I just give you a pair of my panties to hang around your neck? Then whenever you feel jealous, you can wave them at whoever's pissing you off."

"Like you wear panties," Tate muttered. _Sod. Wait, _what_…?_

She punched him. "Not that it's any of your business, but I only go without when I'm on a job!"

I started to toss to her to the side to skip the limbs and go straight to ripping off his head when her meaning became clear. With a growing sense of clarity and an overwhelming case of the giggles, I sat down in the chair while her uncle set up the equipment and inserted the needle.

Trying desperately to keep a straight face, I asked, "Kitten, are you still hunting vampires without your knickers on?"

"If I'm playing the bait, yes, but if it's a search-and-destroy, no. Why?"

"We'll talk about it later," I tried.

Should've known that wouldn't work. "Tell me _now_," she insisted.

She looked brassed off; her blokes looked intrigued. Only her uncle seemed uninterested in a conversation about her knickers. My lips tingled with the urge to smile. I tried valiantly not to, but then I've never been the best at controlling my urges so I'm sure there were at least a few twitches.

"It's just that you can expand your wardrobe, luv. Not that I'm advocating it, of course, but then I'm biased. That thing I told you about no knickers making a difference when it came to luring vampires…well. I might have stretched the truth a bit."

"You _what_?" Her jaw dropped open.

Juan gave me a calculating and not a little admiring glance. "You talked her into going without panties all these years? _Madre de Dios_, now that's impressive. I could learn a great deal from you, _amigo_."

"You _lied_ to me." Kitten stalked over and stabbed a finger in my chest, which was aching with the need to laugh.

"Now, Kitten, it wasn't exactly a lie. Merely an embellishment of the truth. I told you vampires found that right irresistible, and some do. Myself, for one, whenever I'm around you. And do you remember how you were back then? So uptight and prissy, I couldn't resist needling you. Really, in all fairness, I never intended to let it go on this long—"

She was so mad her voice shook. "You perverted, depraved bastard, how could you!"

"What a mean trick," the wanker chimed in.

Still chuckling, I reached out for her but she slapped at my hand. "Don't touch me. You're a dead man."

"Since before you met me," I grinned. "I love you, Kitten."

"Don't try to get out of this. We'll see if you love me when I pay you back."

"Even then I will love you," I called after her as she stomped off. "Even then."


	32. Hot N Cold

_You're hot then you're cold  
You're yes then you're no  
You're in then you're out  
You're up then you're down..._

- Katy Perry

The next step in our plan to get Kitten's head out of Ian's sights - and well away from Max - was to start training our Trojan horses. After being tapped of over a pint of blood, we were back in Kitten's uncle's office, prepared to start giving our accomplices their first dose of vampire steroids.

As usual place at the head of the line, Tate had given the cup containing a half pint of my blood a contemptuous look before his eyes flicked to Kitten and he downed the contents like it was Guinness. I held onto his shoulders for several moments while his eyes glazed over, his body started convulsing a bit and his breathing sounded choked.

Kitten watched sympathetically until the worst of it passed and he could breath a bit better. As soon as Tate recognized his surroundings again and realized who had a grip on him, he snarled, "let go of me" as soon as he could talk.

I let him go, watching impassively as all the heightened senses became clear. He took a few deep breaths and his eyes widened. "Jesus, Cat. This isn't like before at the cave. What the hell is in that asshole's blood?"

She ignored his jab at me. "Power. The blood you had before was from a weaker, shriveling vampire, so it doesn't compare. Are you okay now?"

"Everything is so loud, and so clear. And the smell! Goddamn, Juan, you stink! Didn't you shower today?" _Welcome to my world, mate._

"Fuck off," Juan growled. "I showered, but I ran out of soap. Didn't know we were getting sniff tested."

"All right, Juan, you're next."

After juicing up all three of Kitten's blokes, we went down to the Wreck Room and I proceeded to see just exactly how much they could take. I wish I could hold hand on heart and say that all three took the same amount of punishment, but, well, one of them just seemed to keep getting in my way. I tried to give the bloke some pointers about how to be a bit more agile and was even complimentary; I said something in the area of how he'd learned not to be such a human pylon towards the end. Or thereabouts, anyway. When he limped away he just made one comment to Kitten.

"Bastard hits harder than a fucking freight train."

She smiled serenely. "I know."

"You've schooled them brilliantly, Kitten." I perked up Cooper and made my way over to her. "They are without a doubt the toughest humans I've come across. With the additional strength of blood, they'll be equal to a young vampire."

I kissed her on the forehead as I spoke. At the touch I heard her heart skip a beat, her loins clench and smelled a waft of pure lust coming from her. Suddenly she froze.

"I'm off to clean up; I'm sweaty. I'll, ah, see you all later," she said and bolted from the room. Modest Kitten was poking up her prim head. Honestly, she was so Victorian sometimes. I really needed to work on loosening those corset strings a bit more. And speaking of loosening clothing…

"Where do you think you're going?" Tate called after me as I followed her. "Wrong way, Bones. The men's showers are in the opposite direction."

"I'll file that away with all the other information that doesn't pertain to me," I retorted. Kitten ignored both of us as she fled toward her locker room.

As I reached the doors I could hear her turning on the showers. Tate continued to try to taunt me. "Got something you're embarrassed to show us, vampire?"

I laughed as I went inside. "Just not stupid. Where would you rather be?"

"Don't answer that," Juan warned Tate.

Kitten was shivering under the cold spray. "Not here. It's…inappropriate."

I kicked off my shoes and trousers, smiling as I heard her breath catch. I reached behind her to turn the water to hot.

"Sod 'em," I answered, dropping to my knees. My mouth snaked across her stomach and moved lower. "I want you, Kitten, and you want me. That's all I care about."

Her knees went weak, and she grabbed my shoulders as I heard her blood begin to sing. "I'm going to fall," she gasped.

"I'll hold you," I promised.

An hour later both of our skins were warm and flush, and we were boneless and limp as she floated from the showers back to her office and I made my way to the lab to have more blood drawn.

I finished giving my 'donation' and was making my way to her office so we could leave when I picked up the conversation she was having with that wanker bloke of hers.

"…my senses just got put on steroids, remember? Not only could I hear you—now I can smell it on you. You reek of it, even after your shower."

"Then I switch to my first point, which is that it's none of your business."

He snorted bitterly. "Yeah, you've made that crystal-clear."

She paused for a moment. "Tate. I'm not trying to hurt you or prove anything. What happens between him and me doesn't have anything to do with you."

I arrived in the doorway just in time for his last remark.

"You might not be out to prove anything, but he sure as hell is. Forget him wearing your panties around his neck—he just smothered himself in your scent."

"Ready, luv?" I tried to ignore that.

"Is he right?" _Stubborn woman._

I answered her, no bantering, all seriousness. "Partially. I always want you, and you know how fighting gets my blood up, but did it cross my mind that I'd be literally rubbing his nose in it? Yes. Better he lose his illusions, fast, when it comes to you. But would I have acted any differently if we were alone? Of course not. I can't get enough of you."

"This isn't going to be easy," she grumbled on our way towards the exit.

I shrugged. "Nothing worthwhile ever is."


	33. Let Me Out

_A/N: Let's meet Sunshine, shall we? She definitely wants out of her cell…_

_Motherfucker I walk with a crowd  
People yelling  
Hey, somebody come let me out  
(Yeah, tell 'em)  
Oh, somebody come let me out_

- Yelawolf

The next day I was busy on the phone with my people, calling them in and having them bring the vampires and ghouls they'd sired as well. As I said, you can't really ignore a command from your sire (or grandsire) and I needed as much support as I could get for the big night of Kitten vs. Ian. Then I went and fetched Helsing, Kitten's kitten, which was a cute little thing but as it didn't know me, I earned a few scratches on my arms trying to wrangle him into his kitty carrier. And I thanked Cain I didn't need to breathe while dealing with the litter box. No matter how clean you keep those things, well, you get the idea.

The day after, we got up entirely too early for both of us and made our groggy way to her compound. I had a plan.

"You said you had captive vampires here, right, Kitten?" I asked after we arrived.

"Yeah, three of them, why?"

Hmm. Alright, let's see if this works. "They might be useful. Let me see them."

Her blokes came with us as she led me down a level to where they had the vampires held. I was impressed they had cells strong enough to hold them, but then Kitten consistently impressed me when it came to thinking like a vampire. She'd make a superb one some day, if she ever got over her hang-ups about them.

I noticed the guards looking away from me as we passed. Her uncle had instructed them not to try and tangle with me, but clearly they weren't comfortable with a vampire just strolling about. I could smell it.

We arrived at the first cell and Kitten flipped a shade hanging on the outside of a large window, keeping him from green eying the guards. Since her blokes still had my blood in their system, they were no worry.

"In this pen we have Grumpy," she introduced. "His real name is Dillon, or so he told us. He's about thirty, I guess, in grave years." I'd never met the bloke, so he was only a maybe for my plan, but not ideal as he didn't know I never bluffed with my threats and I might have to interfere. He gave me a wide-eyed look, clearly able to feel my aura even through the thick glass. I looked him over carefully then nodded to Kitten that I was done with him.

"Next is Jack, but he's known as Chirpy. He's got a real high-pitched voice, hence the nickname. I'd say sixty? Seventy? We snagged him at a baseball game. He liked to drink the beer vendor girls."

Er, no. Not what I was looking for. He might have a stronger aura than the first bloke, but he was also about seventy years old when he was changed as well. Honestly, what were some people thinking when they decided to make a vampire? Inwardly I sighed. I nodded again. Moving on.

She flipped up the last shade. "And this is Sunshine. We don't know her real name; she never told us."

_Oh, fuck_. Belinda looked up from her cot then threw herself at the glass. Belinda was a bird I'd met some time back and had a short fling with. She was beautiful, with long blonde hair, big blue eyes and an incredible figure, but she was also a right bitch. She was good for a few shags (and good _at_ shagging), but not someone I wanted to cuddle the day away with. I'd had a hell of a time getting rid of her.

And now my past and my present (and future) were colliding. _Buggerbuggerbuggerbugger__**bugger**_. However… Belinda was also fast, strong, and a fairly good fighter. And she knew I not only talked the talk, I walked the walk. She might prove herself useful after all. Right this second, though…

"_Bones!_ How did you get here? Never mind, just kill them and let me out!"

"Belinda, fancy seeing you here," I chuckled. "Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not here to rescue you."

"You know her?" Kitten asked foolishly, stunned.

Belinda touched the glass. "How can you say that, after what we meant to each other?"

Kitten stiffened, but right on cue her bloke chimed in. "You fucked Sunshine?" Kitten gave me a death glare.

"We didn't mean anything to each other aside from a few shags, Belinda," I answered bluntly.

Kitten's hands clenched into fists. No doubt she was wishing she'd just killed Belinda instead of going through the trouble of capturing her.

Juan complimented me in Spanish on my conquests and varied tastes in women. I replied, also in Spanish, that redheads were the fieriest and now my only taste in women. His forehead crinkled as he laughed he laughed, his eyes shifting to Kitten. She missed the glance as I was still on the receiving end of the death glare.

"That's rude," she snapped, not amused in the slightest. She gave an appraising look at Belinda and it was clear she didn't like what she saw.

"Sorry, Kitten," I apologized, switching back to English.

Juan clapped her on the shoulder. "He speaks better Spanish than I do, _querida_."

"Apparently there are a lot of things I don't know about him," she purred dangerously. Her bloke gave a sudden cough, but not before I saw him smile. He really was a wanker. If he thought her discovering I'd shagged Belinda was going to split us up, he was sorely mistaken.

But back to the matter at hand. I turned back to Belinda. "Quit batting your lashes at me. If you're in there, then you tried to hurt her." He nodded at me. "So you could shrivel to dust for all I bother. However, your stay here could be more pleasant if two things happen. The first involves the lovely lady at my side. She would have to agree. The second pertains to your total cooperation or, failing that, your gruesome, prolonged death. Are we clear?"

She nodded and finally stepped back from the glass. Kitten flipped the screen back down with a snap.

"I for one vote for her gruesome, prolonged death," she said and stomped away. When we were out of the holding level for the vampires, she rounded on me. Here it comes. _Red headed temper, aisle one_.

"You and her? Eww."

I crossed my arms and let out a resigned noise. "Kitten, this was before you. It didn't mean anything."

"Clearly it meant something to her."

I shrugged. "Then kill her, if it makes you feel better. Can't say I'd blame you, and I truly don't care. If you like, I'll do it myself."

She stopped and turned back to look at me, a look that was not a little incredulous on her face. Did she really think I'd let Belinda come between us?

"I don't murder people just because I'm jealous. Fine. I'll be adult, even though the thought of you with her makes me want to hurl. So, then. What's your idea?"


	34. Practice Makes Perfect

_A/N: Wow! Thank you for all your lovely reviews of the last chapter! I was surprised at the responses and very pleased. Here we go with Belinda and the training session, then next up is Annette! I've already been working out in my head what I'm going to do with that one…  
_

_Wake up at first light, hearing you calling out  
For your criminal clothing  
that fled the scene  
upon being ripped free  
Conversation ensued  
And I want to do so many things to you  
Sip after sip  
You insist you're a hit  
Sip after sip  
Yeah, I swear I can feel it_

_Practice makes perfect_  
_Practice makes perfect sense_

- Cute Is What We Aim For

It was time to see if my little plan for Kitten's "hostages" would work. Sure, these blokes had fought vampires before, but always with her leading them and usually with the intent to kill. Not to mention military backup, ammunition and body armor. Today they were going up against a vampire in just basic cotton trousers and T-shirts, just as they would wear as Ian's hostages. Nothing that would attract attention. And they would have only a single knife each, in hard to reach places: their shoes.

As Kitten and her blokes headed to the training room, I headed off to secure Belinda. The guards warily opened the door to her cell and I strolled in, leaning down to speak into her ear. A spark of lust came into her eyes as I neared but quickly died at my words.

"If you kill one of them, bite them or even so much as scratch one of them with a fang, I will rip your limbs off and feed them to you. Are we clear?"

She gulped, her eyes huge, round saucers of fear and she nodded.

"Then let's go."

I got her arm in an iron grip and led her into the Wreck Room. Kitten was waiting on the training floor while her uncle sat in his overlook box. The old chap looked a bit grey; to say he hadn't liked the idea was putting it mildly, but eventually he agreed it was necessary.

"Are you guys ready?" Kitten asked, her voice calm, but I could smell her nerves. She hadn't liked this idea, either. All three men nodded. "Then take a knife, each of you. Just one."

They went over to the large bin in the corner containing stacks of steel knives. Kitten glanced at me and I nodded. It was time.

I bent over Belinda and warned softly, "Remember what I told you."

I let go of her arm and she charged towards the men. They scattered and, my blood giving them extra speed, avoided her first grab. Tate spun and flung his knife at her back, where it lodged up to the hilt over her heart. She spun back to face him and snatched it out.

Kitten barked out, "That's great if you're intending to kill her, but I told you to treat this situation like a test run for Ian's guards. If they're dead, what hostages am I supposed to bargain with?"

Her bloke looked sheepish and muttered, "Sorry. Just knee-jerk reaction, I guess."

Belinda flung the knife at his feet. "Asshole," she growled at him.

I gave Kitten a smug look. "See why I insisted on steel knives instead of silver? I reckoned one of them might panic and go for the kill instead of the capture."

"Your objective is to restrain Belinda with nonlethal means," she told them sharply. "If you can't manage to do that, then you're off this mission. Period."

"And if after an hour you haven't restrained me," Belinda purred, "I get to taste one of you. Mmm, fresh blood. I haven't had that in over a year." She licked her lips and eyed them lustfully. Juan swallowed and Tate backed away. Even stoic Cooper looked uneasy. We hadn't let them in on this part of the training exercise.

"For motivation," Kitten stated coolly. "Now, who's going to be happy in an hour? You guys, or her?"

Belinda bared her fangs and leapt towards them again. This time she went straight for Juan and dove low, knocking him off his feet. He scrambled, but she was faster. She had her fangs near his throat (that had _better_ just be a warning) before he could push her away.

Kitten tensed and I could tell she was ready to throw herself into the fray, but I grabbed her arm. Regrouping, Cooper and Tate tackled Belinda. Cooper got her by the hair and Tate gave her a punishing roundhouse kick to the face.

It stunned her, but only for a moment. Then she reached behind her, grabbing Cooper and flinging him over her head so hard he landed a dozen feet away.

Kitten tensed again. "Let them handle it," I said in a low tone. "You can't always be there to protect them." She set her jaw and continued to watch.

Juan had gotten back on his feet, and he and Tate circled around Belinda while Cooper got up and shook himself, dazed. His forehead was bleeding and I saw Belinda's nostrils flare at the scent. She looked at the two men circling her, and, with the unerring instinct some women seem to have, knew exactly which one was more susceptible to her charms and used them. She glanced at Juan, smiled then ripped her top open. She wasn't wearing a bra.

Juan stared and faltered for an instant, giving her all the time she needed. Belinda lunged, slamming her fist into his head and knocking him out cold. Tate gave chase, but she'd already reached Cooper. A hard blow to his abdomen had Cooper hunching over, and her tongue snaked out to lick the red trail dripping from his forehead.

"An appetizer," she murmured, then lifted Cooper and threw him at Tate, who was almost on them. They collided and went down in a tangle of limbs.

Kitten gritted her teeth and I reached down and gave her hand a squeeze. We might have to come up with Plan B.

After an hour, Tate and Cooper were soaked with sweat, Juan was just coming around and Belinda hadn't been successfully restrained. Her blokes had come close a few times, but she'd managed to escape their grip before being handed back to me, which was the objective.

Belinda smiled, fangs down. "I won, so I want my victory spoils. Unless you're a liar, Bones."

_Bloody bitch_. I crossed my arms and glared at her. "I said you'd get your prize. I didn't specify _when_, however." _Making her wait a bit would serve her right for calling me a liar._

Belinda began to curse me up one side and down the other when, surprisingly, Tate interrupted her.

"Let's get this over with," he said shortly, and limped up to her.

Kitten's eyes widened. "Tate—" she started.

"Save it," he cut her off. "We failed you, Cat. You think her biting me is gonna hurt more than that?" Kitten blinked back tears and spun around to face the wall, not wanting them to see her cry.

"Who says you're the one I want?" Belinda asked dismissively.

"Doesn't matter; I'm the one you're gonna _get_," Tate replied in a harsh tone. "You understand chain of command, suck head? Out of the three of us, I'm the top of the chain, so you're getting my vein and no one else's." _Well, well. Perhaps he's not quite as pathetic as I thought after all._

Belinda smiled. "I guess you'll do, then. Come here."

"Not so fast," I said as Kitten composed herself and turned around. "Wrist only, Belinda. Not his neck."

She pouted. "But I like the throat better."

"Too bloody bad," I said coldly. "Argue again and you'll get nothing."

She reached out to Tate and smiled, her shirt still hanging open, and she cradled his arm next to her. I could hear his heart pounding and smell his anxiousness.

"Don't worry, gorgeous, you'll like it," she purred, licking her fangs.

He grunted. "Not on your afterlife, bitch."

Belinda just laughed. "Yes you will." Then she bit.

A tremor went through him and his heart began to beat even faster. He gave a soft, surprised sound before thinning his lips. As she swallowed and drew deeper, his eyes fluttered closed for a moment before snapping them open, heat in them. And he stared straight at Kitten.

"That's enough," I said in a clipped tone, both to Belinda and Tate. Belinda drew back, licking the last of the blood from her fangs. Kitten's bloke seemed frozen, staring at her as blood dripped from his arm.

"Close the holes," I snapped at Belinda.

"Is this why you can't stay away from him, Cat?" Tate finally asked.

Kitten looked stunned. I smiled in a predatory way, showing my own fangs. "You'd like to believe that, wouldn't you, mate?"

"Tate, why would you even think such a thing?" she finally gasped out.

"Don't bother, luv," I said lightly, still smiling fangily. "I don't care what lies he uses to comfort himself with when he's alone at night and you're with me. Belinda, your time-out's over. Back to your cell."


	35. Jealousy

_A/N: Annette, part one!  
_

_I've got another one, listen to me/And don't get all hung on  
To things I have done wrong/Oh no, not again, I won't reply  
It's only how I feel/It sometimes seems unreal  
But everyone gets there once in a while/Are you wishing?_

- Status Quo

We continue to bring Belinda out to train Kitten's men, at their insistence. I think it rankled them that they weren't able to catch and restrain her. Oh, they'd managed to plug her a few times so that, had the knives been silver and one of them been able to twist, she'd have been a smelly mess on the Wreck Room floor, but they were still working on catching and holding onto her. As for Belinda, even though she no longer got fresh blood, she got an extra plasma bag each day and a few hours out of her cell, so she didn't complain about being a running pincushion. And after a while, they slowly but surely improved.

Meanwhile, I was placing calls all over the globe, calling in my vampires and having them spread the word amongst their own people that I needed them all in Virginia. As I was on good terms with most of them, they readily agreed and the plan fell slowly but surely into place. I also contacted Charles to see if he would be willing to assist, and, great mate that he is, he also pledged his support. This was a tricky situation for the three of us, Charles, Ian and myself, as we'd all been mates for centuries. But with Ian, well…let's just say he ran hot and cold with both Charles and myself over the years, so it was a bit easier for Charles to decide to throw his lot in with me.

And then there was the other difficult situation: Annette. We had quite the history, Annette and I. We had a long-standing relationship as humans, and she very literally saved my life. In turn, I rescued her from hers and she became the first vampire I ever sired. After that, we'd had an on-and-off affair ever since. I knew how she felt about me, and while I definitely had love for Annette, I had never been _in_ love with her: that feeling belonged solely to Kitten.

Annette had also been my "almost" in Chicago. While Kitten knew about that, she definitely wasn't particularly okay with it. That I could understand; I wouldn't want to have to spend time with her wanker one-nighter, either. I also knew that Annette was furious about how I left things between us that night, walking out on her because of a woman who had, after all, walked out on _me_. I knew there was bound to be some friction; I just couldn't have predicted how volatile it turned out.

It was Thursday when Annette was due to arrive from London. Kitten accompanied me to the airport to pick her up, and I thought it was time to fill her in on exactly who was arriving – but, a bit cowardly, I'd put it off until the very last second until we waited in the passenger pick up area.

"You haven't asked and there's been little time, but you need to know who it is we're getting, Kitten."

"Another old flame?" she joked. Blimey, she hit that nail right on the head.

"You could call her that, yes."

She grimaced. "Great, can't wait to meet her."

"You remember I told you when I was human, one of my clients saved my life by convincing the judge to ship me to Australia instead of hanging me for pick-pocketing? Well, that was Annette. After I returned to London as a vampire, I looked for the people who'd shown me kindness. Madame Lucille, the bordello owner who helped raise me, was dead by then, as were many of the prostitutes I'd lived with, but Annette was still there. I offered her this life, and she accepted. She's who we're picking up now."

Kitten looked as if she'd swallowed a bug. "And she'll be staying with us tonight. How cozy."

I took her hand and tried to reassure her. "Don't let it trouble you. You're the only woman for me, Kitten. Believe that."

Moments later, the charged air of vampire hit the air around us as Annette came strolling forward. "She's here," I said stupidly. Kitten could feel that energy as well as I could.

Annette's eyes locked on Kitten immediately, sizing her up, and she clearly did not like she saw. _Bollocks_. _Why_ had I called her again? Annette finished eyeing Kitten and turned to me, effectively dismissing her.

"Crispin, can I have a kiss after my long flight?"

"Of course," I replied. _Might as well not poke the angry bear_. I gave her the barest brush of the lips on her cheeks. She returned the gesture only with more gusto, giving Kitten a superior smirk.

I turned to introduce them. "This is Cat."

Kitten extended her hand, and Annette took it for just the briefest moment, barely touching her. I could sense Kitten assessing her power level.

"Delighted to finally meet you, darling. I so hoped Crispin would be able to locate you."

Annette gave my cheek a light stroke with a _(fake)_ sad expression on her face. "Poor sweet dear, he was positively wretched with worry that something ill had befallen you."

Again, Kitten grimaced like she'd swallowed something foul. "As you can see, Annette, he found me safe and sound." She took my hand she still held and kissed it. Inwardly I grinned. Little did Annette know that Kitten was not one to bow in defeat over an evil eye and a possessive gesture.

Annette's smile turned cold. "My bags should be arriving momentarily. Crispin, why don't you fetch the car whilst Cat and I collect my things?" I wasn't entirely sure it was a good idea to leave them alone together, but decided they would have to be left alone at some point and learn to get along. The middle of a crowded airport with tight security everywhere was as good a place as any. I bolted off for the car.

When I had parked in the passenger pick up lane, I headed back in quickly, knowing how much luggage Annette usually travelled with and thinking to grab it. However, as soon as I got inside I saw that Annette had already found a personal valet in the form of Kitten, only carrying a small valise herself. That pissed me off royally, but I decided discretion was the better part of valor - yet, at least.

"Blimey, Annette. You should have told me how many bags you had!"

"Oh, forgive me, Cat," Annette chuckled falsely. "I'm accustomed to having an underling travel with me."

"Don't mention it," Kitten replied taughtly.

Luggage stowed, we got onto the highway and headed back to my house.

"When are the rest of our people arriving?" Annette asked from the backseat.

"Today and tomorrow. By Friday, I reckon we'll all be in place."

She gave a snooty sniff. "I say, Crispin, how did Belinda get herself in Cat's little snare? I haven't seen her since your birthday six years ago, or was it five?"

"She got caught because she started running with a group who liked to bring home live meals," I replied coldly as I looked in the rear view mirror and saw Annette giving a sly smile. _Annette, do _not_ go there…_

"Terrible. She must have really changed. Wasn't it only five years ago that we three got together?" _And…she did._

I glared back at her in the mirror as her meaning became clear to Kitten. "Answer the question, _honey_. Was it six or five years ago that the three of you all fucked? See, Bones already told me that he'd screwed Belinda, Annette, but thank you for letting me know you participated also."

Bloody _hell_. I yanked the car off to the side of the road. "I won't tolerate such rudeness, Annette," I said, turning to face her. "She knows bloody well what you're implying, as you can see, and I don't know why you feel the need to throw that up at her. You also know that it was eight years ago, before I met her, and I'll thank you not to entertain her with any more recollections." Since Annette had thrown discretion right out the window, I had no qualms about poking the angry bear now.

Annette gave Kitten a blank glance before giving me an innocent look. "I apologize. Perhaps it was the long flight which made me forget myself."

"Kitten," I asked. "Is that sufficient?"

"I think I can handle a little _ménage à trois_ reminiscing, but just for the record, Annette, you can forget any repeats involving the three of us."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Annette assured with a gleam.

By some miracle, the rest of the drive passed peacefully. Annette was even able to call one of her people and make arrangements for somewhere else to stay.

Back at the house, I filled Annette in on the plan. When she heard the part involving Kitten's blokes, she was fascinated.

"Mere humans? Willingly walking into Ian's den as his collateral? Oh, Crispin, you must let me meet them. Can we have them for supper tonight?"

"She better mean to dinner with real food on the table," Kitten grumbled.

"Why, Cat, that's precisely what I meant. Can't have me eating the bait, now can we?"

She chuckled.

I glanced at Kitten and she shrugged. "It's not such a bad idea to have them meet first. Maybe it will make them less jittery about this whole Army of Darkness thing."

"Whatever you like. I don't care. If they agree, I'll pick them up when I get Rodney. He's our other guest tonight."

"Rodney the ghoul?" Kitten looked excited. "Oh, I liked him. He didn't get angry no matter how many times my mother insulted him."

I smiled at her. I'd just finished taking Annette's bags to her room, and she sat at the kitchen table sipping tea. Kitten was on the couch with a mostly-finished tall gin and tonic. _Bloomin' security blanket_. The fact that it was a tall one spoke silent volumes.

"Wait." She paused. "Is he…I mean, because of the last time we met…does he hate me?"

_Ah_. She was worried about Rodney being with me when I came back to his house to find her missing. I sat down next to her, setting down her glass.

"Of course he doesn't hate you. He was right sore at Don for threatening you, although we didn't know who'd done it then. As far as your mother—well. She didn't make a friend."

She gave a weak laugh. "She seldom does."

I snuggled in closer to her. "Actually, he's a bit unsettled himself about seeing you again, but not for that reason. Rodney thought perhaps you'd be upset with him over Danny."

"That was more your doing than his, Bones. We've already been over that. Besides, he's coming to help."

"That's what I told him you'd say," I said, wrapping my arms 'round her.

She poked me in the chest. "You think you know everything?"

I smoothed my hands across her back and kissed her temple. "Not everything, but some things. I knew without a doubt I'd fallen in love when we met. Then I knew I'd do anything to make you feel the same way," I murmured into her hair.

Annette's cup rattled noisily as she set it down. "I'll take myself off to shower now."

I ignored her. "Do that." She snapped the bathroom door behind her.

"You keep saying you fell in love right away, but you beat me unconscious, and you were so surly with me those first few weeks," Kitten teased.

I chuckled. "You asked for that beating, and you'd have stomped me into submission if I'd shown you any weakness. Of course I didn't let on how I felt about you. You hated the very sight of me."

"I don't hate you _now_," she purred, giving my neck a slow lick. _Blimey, I love it when she does that._ I snatched her up in my arms and headed toward the stairs.

She gasped and tried to wriggle free. "Wait, I was teasing! We can't, she'd hear us!" _Keep wriggling, luv, keep wriggling…_

I ignored her and kept going, bounding up the steps three at a time, and then depositing her on the bed.

"_I_ wasn't teasing, and I don't care." I gave her a kiss that left her breathless and began tugging off our clothes. "We only have an hour. Let's not waste it."


	36. Killer Queen

_A/N: You've been waiting for this… and I've had the song picked out since I started this book! _

_She's a Killer Queen/Gunpowder, guillotine  
Dynamite with a laser beam/Guaranteed to blow your mind/Anytime_

Recommended at the price/Insatiable an appetite/Wanna try?

To avoid complications/She never kept the same address  
In conversation/She spoke just like a baroness  
Little Man from China/Went down to Geisha Minor  
Then again incidentally/If you're that way inclined

Perfume came naturally from Paris/For cars she couldn't care less  
Fastidious and precise

She's a Killer Queen/Gunpowder, guillotine  
Dynamite with a laser beam/Guaranteed to blow your mind/Anytime

Drop of a hat she's as willing as/Playful as a pussy cat  
Then momentarily out of action/Temporarily out of gas  
To absolutely drive you wild, wild..  
She's all out to get you

- Queen

"It'll take me about two hours to fetch Rodney and pick up your blokes, Kitten. Are you going to be all right with Annette until then?" I was very happily running late. The past hour was the best reason for being late in the history of reasons for being late, in my opinion. Kitten seemed to agree. She was lolling, sated, on our bed and looking like temptation itself. I kept reminding myself that I really did _have_ to leave. _No, must _not_ have Rodney rent a car and put the address in GPS…_

"Don't worry about it. If she gets really lippy, I have my silver." She gave a pointed if lazy look at her weapons stash in the closet.

I chuckled. "If it's all the same to you, I'd rather come back to both of you the way I left you."

"If you insist. Go on, I'll be waiting for you."

She wasn't fully thinking about how she worded her reply, I could tell since her eyes were still a bit sex-fuzzed, but it stung nonetheless. I'd heard that before only to come back to an empty house. And while I didn't think Annette would honestly let Kitten leave me again without inflicting serious bodily harm, it wasn't something I wanted to ponder.

She saw the look on my face and sighed. Kicking off the sheet, she crossed the room to hug me.

"You can tell Rodney to bet his ass I'll be here this time."

I decided that, all things considered, I just had to trust her. And the look on her face was one of complete and utter honesty – no tears, no clever wording that could be double entendres, just a simple hug and a smile. It was good enough for me and brought my own good mood back.

I dropped a kiss on her forehead. "Too right you will. Call your men and have them ready; I'll see you shortly."

"Don't smack Tate on the way over."

I snorted; that might be asking too much. "We'll see."

I drove 'round to the airport and picked up Rodney. Even without being able to feel him as his sire, you could say he stood out, being about six feet tall and built like a bearded linebacker. I gave him a heartfelt hug in greeting; he was a great mate.

After that I swung by Cooper, Juan and finally Tate's houses, Tate being last as he lived closest to us. I rang the bell for Cooper and Juan but merely blared on the horn for Tate, informing him through the driver's window that he'd have to squish into the middle of the backseat. He then had to ride the entire way to our house with his knees stuck up to his chest. Chuckling to myself, I made sure to check the rearview mirror as many times as was safely possible. I'd kept to Kitten's request not to smack him, but that didn't mean I couldn't have any fun. _Hee hee hee._

A few miles from home, however, my laughing stopped as I picked up on two very familiar voices. Both angry. Accompanied by the sound of breaking furniture. And punishing blows being dealt. A glance at Rodney said he'd heard it, too. _Bloody hell. I _knew_ they shouldn't have been left alone, but I'd only been gone two hours! _

I knew Annette had been spoiling for a fight since she arrived and Kitten took the upper hand. Although whatever she must've said to cause them to start brawling, she clearly wasn't able to back up her words because I heard her give a pained gasp.

"At least you lived up to your billing, but you missed. Not close enough."

Kitten snarled. "I didn't miss, bitch. One flick of my wrist and you're a bad memory and an even worse smell. I think we need to have a little talk, woman to skank. I know why you're doing this. You want me to leave him again, but I can save you the oxygen in your words, because it won't happen. Bones forgave me for deserting him and running off for years, so you can bet your overused, group-orgy twat that I will forgive him for one bad mouthful of you. Now, are we very clear on that?"

"You don't deserve him."

"You're right. That's his issue, though, not yours. Here's your issue: are you going to accept things the way they are, or are you exiting his life? See, I'm not plugging your ticker now because Bones really does care for you. Poor bastard doesn't have any sense when it comes to women, does he? If you can handle being around him in a platonic way, I'll deal with not slicing up your heart even though I really, really want to. What do you say? Do we have a deal?" Kitten asked, almost with humor.

Suddenly, Annette must've recognized the sound of our car and knew we could hear them. That or she felt me. "Do get off, he's almost here! Faith, he'll be so cross with me!"

"Deal?" Kitten pressed.

I knew I'd better catch them mid-fight or else it would be a classic case of she-said, she-said that I'd never be able to sort out. I stomped on the accelerator.

"Heavens yes, now let me up! I have to put the house to right. Blast it, he just sped up!" Annette sounded frantic.

I got home just as after Kitten let her go, apparently. I fairly flung the front door open to find almost all of the furniture of the house in ruins, Annette looking studiously innocent and Kitten giving an unconvincing stretch. _As if I wouldn't notice the bloody stain and tear on the front of Annette's blouse. Do they think I'm bloody blind?_

"And _that_, Annette, is called Pilates," she said blithely.

"_Very_ entertaining," Annette agreed, giving me calf eyes. "Why, Crispin, you're back early—"

_Right. And I was reborn yesterday._ "Save it," I interrupted. I crossed the room to Kitten and un-tucked the bloody knife from the back of her trousers. Then I raised a brow and dangled it in front of Annette. She blanched to an odd bone shade.

"Unless Pilates has become downright lethal, I'd say the two of you were fighting.

Fighting so loudly, in fact, that I could hear you miles away," I growled. Neither of them would admit to anything and the air grew thick with tension.

Suddenly Kitten looked as if she'd found a lifeline. "Rodney!" She flung her arms around him and waved frantically at her mates, who had stayed shuffling 'round by the car.

Then she gave a large, fake smile as another car pulled into the drive.

"Look. The food's here! Who's hungry?"


	37. Cat Scratch Fever

_Well I don't know where they come from but they sure do come  
I hope they coming for me  
And I don't know how they do it but they sure do it good  
I hope they doing it for free_

_They give me Cat Scratch Fever/Cat Scratch Fever_

_Well the first time that I got it I was just ten years old_  
_I got it from some kitty next door_  
_I went and see the doctor and he gave me the cure_

_I think I got it some more_

_They give me Cat Scratch Fever/Cat Scratch Fever_  
_I got the Cat Scratch Fever/Cat Scratch Fever_

_It's nothing dangerous, I feel no pain_  
_I got to ch-ch-change_  
_You know you got it when you going insane_  
_It makes a grown man cry, cry oh won't you make my bed_

_Well I make the pussy purr with the stroke of my hand_  
_They know they getting it from me_  
_And they know just where to go when they need their lovin' man_  
_They know I'm doin' it for free_

- Ted Nugent

After paying the deliveryman, Annette turned toward the stairs, still refusing to meet my eyes and said, "I'll just take myself off to change, Crispin." Rodney began to clean up the battered living-and-dining room furniture, and Kitten turned to bolt up the stairs herself. I wasn't about to let her off with no explanation of the nasty brawl I'd broken up so I vaulted up the stairs after her, catching the bedroom door just before it shut.

Before I could open my mouth, however, she halted me at the pass. "Not now. We settled it. The guys are here and so is dinner. Let's sit down on whatever furniture is left and eat. The rest can wait."

I was _not_ bloody happy with that. The scent of anger was pouring off of her. Still, she had a point. We had guests, guests who were here to help us out of a bad spot, so we _did_ have to be hospitable. "All right. But this isn't settled. You're still seething mad, I can smell it, and we're dealing with this after supper."

I threw my jacket on the bed and gave her a piece of advice as I left. "Best put on something with sleeves; your arms are covered in scratches."

Dinner was a nightmare. Annette was her usual charming, graceful self, seemingly perfectly at ease and she soon had Kitten's blokes eating out of her hand. Juan, of course, rampant perv that he is, was delighted with her, and Annette seemed to make an extra effort to get the buttoned-up Tate to relax. She even got a few smiles out of him, something I had previously believed only attainable by my death. Only I could feel her unease underneath the gracious exterior.

Kitten, meanwhile, chatted to Rodney. With her not having the best of social skills and him being naturally taciturn, it was a bit amusing to watch them battle for a common ground to talk about. They fell to the shared subject of Justina's rudeness while staying at Rodney's house. I'd be amused by that topic myself, were I not busy speculating in my head what made Kitten – and Annette – mad enough to try to kill each other in my own living room.

There was only one thing I could think of that was sure to push Kitten's buttons, and quickly, and that was jealousy. Annette knew all the skeletons in my closet. What had she told Kitten? And was it bad enough that Kitten would decide she couldn't accept it – accept me? All I could do was brood over it for the course of the meal, my eyes locked onto her as if trying to read her mind or see if the answer was written on her skin.

The longer dinner went on, the more I brooded, and the more Kitten seemed to blanch somehow. Annette continued to blithely act like a gracious hostess, even though it wasn't her home. Still, it kept the air 'round the table from settling over us like a dark cloud. Finally the meal couldn't possibly be stretched any longer, and Kitten took what seemed like an inordinate amount of time clearing the dishes away, avoiding my eyes the entire time. The whole meal just raised my hackles and had my senses on full alert.

Finally Annette rifled through her handbag then asked, "Cards, gentlemen?" Kitten's blokes all looked interested, but I had had enough. I was going to find out what she had said or done to brass off Kitten to such an extent, and I had my suspicions that I would be very brassed off myself when I learned what it was.

"Not for the two of us. Enjoy your game, Annette, by all means. Then you can take her friends back. Rodney will accompany you and show you the way. After that, your luck will have run out."

Her blokes glanced at each other. They weren't idiots; they knew damn good and well what they'd walked in on and had a decent inkling why, I'd reckon. Rodney did, as well. He shot Annette a pitying glance. I ignored them and steered Kitten up the stairs to our bedroom.

"That was hardly polite," she hissed after I shut the bedroom door behind us. "You may as well leave it open; they can still hear us."

"Anyone ill-mannered enough to eavesdrop when they can choose to ignore us listens at their own peril," I warned in a clear voice. I leaned against the door. "Dinner was a waste of time; you barely ate. Now, tell me what happened."

Kitten looked like she wanted to curl up into a tiny ball. She hedged, "A catfight, no pun intended. Annette said some nasty things and so did I, and then I stabbed her to make a point. Now _that_ was a pun."

I wasn't falling for it. "So that's it, then? All's well and no hard feelings?"

She nodded emptily.

I shot across the room towards her in a blink. When I moved my head down to kiss her, she flinched. _Oh, Christ, no. Not again. Not again._

I pulled myself up. "Right. There are two ways I'm going to hear every blasted word Annette said to you. One is from you by request. The other is after I beat it out of her. Now, the selfish part of me hopes you'll stay silent, but then that would defeat the greater good. You can tell me anything, Kitten, as I've often said. Anything at all. The question is, will you?"

She looked around as if searching for some kind of escape hatch in the room. She found it in a quarter bottle of gin on the nightstand. She plunked down on the bed and drained it before replying.

"Fine. Here goes. Annette said you were basically a raging pervert who liked your women in minimums of twos, humans especially because of their warm bodies, you've fucked more women than the population of this state, I'd never hold your interest…" she paused to gulp in a breath. "You sounded bored in bed with me earlier, I'd never be able to handle what you _really_ liked to do, you tell half the women you fuck that you're in love with them, you'd have tossed me out years ago if I hadn't left you first…oh, and that she was the one you munched on a couple months ago."

_Fucking hell bloody wank tosser bollocks shit __**bitch**__._ "I am going to flog Annette fleshless for this." I growled. "If I were you, I'd have killed her. Bloody _hell_." I snatched open the door and bellowed, "Rodney, take them back and leave Annette here!"

I didn't wait for a response before slamming it shut. Rodney mumbled something like agreement then I vaguely registered the sounds of them leaving.

"Is it true?" she asked in a small voice. "You're pissed at her, but is that because she lied to me? Or because she told me the truth?"

_How to tell her?_ I shut my eyes for a moment. "I'm sorry to be having this conversation under these circumstances, Kitten, but I had no intention of concealing my past from you. The short answer to what Annette told you is _yes_, I have been with many women. Many. Human and otherwise."

"Usually in bunches? Thousands? _Tens_ of thousands?"

_Christ. Figure out how to explain this, and fast._ I went to the edge of the bed and knelt next to her. "Let me explain how I was after I was changed into a vampire. For a few years, I brooded over the fate Ian forced on me, but eventually I figured I may as well have a grand time being dead. Back then I had a talent for exactly one thing, and that was shagging. If the girl fancied feminine company also while we were in bed, I certainly didn't object. Then as the years passed, I began meting out death to those I thought deserved it. Later I started making an income from it. Soon killing became the other thing I excelled at, and between the two, I thought I was as happy as I had any right to be.

"My life went on like this, and yes, Annette was frequently one of the women I shagged, either alone or accompanied. Then one day a friend of mine asked me to find his daughter's murderer, and I traced her killer and his operation to a bar in Ohio. There I met you, and I fell in love. You can't imagine what that was like after centuries of…emptiness. I hadn't thought I was _capable_ of falling in love, but at last I felt like I had something to give other than a good shag or killing a bloke for someone. And now my trusted friend Annette has sought to rip that away from me by taunting you with things in my past, hoping it would destroy your feelings for me."

Kitten seemed to be thinking that over. Finally, and surprisingly she said, "Don't judge her so harshly, Bones. Annette loves you; that's why she did what she did. I don't like your extensive sexual history, but I can handle it—if it's in your past. But I will never participate in a threesome, foursome, fivesome, whatever. If that's what you're hoping I'll eventually get into…then we have a problem."

I looked her straight in the eye. "Except for that one instance I truly regret with Annette, I didn't touch another woman while we were apart, because I don't want anyone but you. And as far as telling other women I loved them, when I was a whore, I used to tell all my clients I loved them. Almost part of the job, as it were. That's why I'd said it before to Annette, but not since I was human have I said it to anyone but you." _Come on, Kitten, believe me, please…_

She looked in my eyes for a moment then finally gave me a small smile. "Well, then…okay."

"Okay?" I pulled her onto the floor with me until we were eye to eye.

"Yeah," she whispered, stroking my cheek. "Okay." _Thank Christ!_

This time when I kissed her, she wrapped herself around me. I took a moment just to enjoy having her in my arms, but after a bit I had to pull away. "I still have to deal with Annette. You might look leniently on her, but she violated my trust, and I cannot dismiss that. Annette!" I yelled. "Get up here!"

Kitten shrugged then stunned me stupid. "Do it your way, but I suggest another one. You could go ahead and beat her bloody, or…you could give me such loud, screaming orgasms that the sound of them blisters her ears. If you have any former-whore-turned-promiscuous-vampire tricks you've been holding back, well, bring them on. I only have one stipulation: You'd better outperform any service you gave to her _or_ anyone else, because if I don't wake up tomorrow red in the face from embarrassment at what you did to me, I'll be disappointed."

I know I didn't move. I certainly didn't breathe. I don't think I even blinked, my brain was so haywire. Annette broke my mental coma by opening the door without knocking. I stood and glared at her. I was beyond brassed off at her, but dealing with her could fucking well wait.

"We have business to sort out, you and I," I growled. Then I glanced back at Kitten, waiting on the floor by the bed. "_Later._" And I slammed the door in her face. If I breathed, my voice would've been so choked I would've never managed to ask, "Trying to hang my knickers around your neck?"

Her were a lovely shade of green and her reply was breathy and unsteady. "You don't wear any."

I crossed over to her and drew her to her feet. "I should assure you that in bed you have nothing to prove to me, or that I've never enjoyed making love to anyone more, but only a fool passes up what you just offered me. Now, I am short on some props, and there isn't nearly enough time in one night to run through all the ways I've fantasized about taking you, but I promise you this…" _Oh, the options, the options… all the possible fantasies to play out._ All the wicked thoughts made my voice deepen. "You'll be scandalized in the morning when you can think again."


	38. Make Me Wanna Die

_A/N: Here is the long awaited Bones POV of Chapter 32! I've been dreading this one since starting this fic – how do you adapt perfection? A special thanks to all the new readers who favorited this story and me as an author! I'll try to be worthy. The song suggestion for this chapter is thanks to Melanie, who runs the Vampire Loving Dorks page on Facebook (V""V) and is also my co-admin for the Night Huntress Fan Page on Facebook. (takes __deep breath) Here we go!_

_Take me I'm alive  
Never was a girl with a wicked mind  
But everything looks better when sun goes down_

_I had everything/Opportunities for eternity_  
_And I could belong to the night/Your eyes, your eyes_  
_I can see in your eyes/Your eyes_

_You make me wanna die/I'll never be good enough_  
_You make me wanna die/And everything you love will burn up in the light_  
_Every time I look inside your eyes/Make me wanna die_

_Taste me, drink my soul_  
_Show me all the things that I shouldn't know_  
_And there's a new moon on the rise_

_I had everything/Opportunities for eternity_  
_And I could belong to the night/Your eyes, your eyes_  
_I can see in your eyes/Your eyes_  
_You make me wanna die_  
_I'll never be good enough_  
_You make me wanna die_  
_And everything you love will burn up in the light_  
_Every time I look inside your eyes (burning in the light)_  
_Make me wanna die_

_I'll die for you my love, my love_  
_I'll lie for you my love, my love (make me wanna die)_  
_I'll steal for you, my love, my love (make me wanna die)_  
_I'll die for you my love, my love_  
_Well burn up in the light_

_Every time I look inside your eyes/I'm burning in the light_  
_Every time I look inside your eyes/I'm burning in the light_  
_Every time I look inside your eyes/Make me wanna die_

- The Pretty Reckless

I gently pushed Kitten back onto the bed as I slowly unbuttoned my shirt. I pulled it off then ripped each sleeve loose. I took the remnants of body of the shirt and tied it snugly around her eyes, knotting it to the side.

I lifted her into the center of the bed then settled her to lie down again. I noticed her nails dig into her palms as I eased off her clothes. I took a loose sleeve and tied it around her left wrist, then tied the other end securely to the headboard. I repeated that with her right, then grabbed her ankles and pulled her towards the foot of the bed until her arms were stretched straight above her head.

She twisted and tugged them a bit. "Don't fight them," I whispered. "They're not strong enough to hold you. Relax," I chuckled. "Let me work."

Deprivation of one of the senses makes the remaining senses go into overdrive, and in sex the unknown can be a powerful turn-on, waiting and wondering what comes next. I stood completely still and silent for a moment, watching her head turn trying to locate me and her nipples harden in anticipation. Then I deliberately made a sound as I left her for a moment to go into the en-suite bathroom, removing the rest of my clothes and hunting through the cabinets until I located her little pot of moisturizer. _Yes, this would work_. I took both hand-towels, ran them under hot water, got them sudsy with shower gel and put them in the little decorative bowl from the counter.

Back in the bedroom, I set the bowl down off to the side on the floor and crouched above her on the bed. My hands traced her shoulders and moved lower to cup her breasts. I raised a breast up towards my mouth, teasing it lightly with my tongue before suckling it. I moved my lips over her nipple, scraping it lightly with my fangs, then took the hardened tip between my front teeth and tugged.

I scraped harder with my fangs, increasing the pressure to just short of breaking the skin. She inhaled a sharp gasp as I tugged and teased until her entire nipple was bright red. The first time we made love, I did promise her I would do that and I am a man of my word – and I never said I would only do it once.

"I want to touch you," she moaned, pulling on the sleeves again.

I grabbed hold of her wrists and only moved away from her nipple long enough to say, "Later," my voice thick with desire. I lowered down on my arms enough to brush against her hip, her skin already feeling warmer with desire and she twisted against me, seeking more contact.

Some part in the very back of my brain heard the telly switch on below us and knew it was Annette trying to drown us out. Damned if that would work, though, I thought with a smile as I bit fiercely into Kitten's nipple. She gave a loud moan, and the sound of it coupled with the taste of her unique blood filling my mouth made me give my own hoarse noise.

I sucked harder, releasing a tiny bit of hallucinogen from my fangs to take the away sting from my bite. Her skin felt even warmer and her hips began to twist against mine, seeking friction as her heart began to pound.

"Your heart is thundering in my ears, but you won't fret long," I murmured, moving to the other breast. "I'm going to knock the fear right out of you."

She gasped and her back arched under me when I bit again. She pressed her chest against mine as I ran my lips up her arm. I shifted higher on the bed, moving off her. I teased her wrist with my tongue, just below her makeshift bonds, biting quickly.

Her heart throbbed even harder and she stretched out, legs kicking loosely. "That's the juice from my fangs you're feeling," I rasped. "It's moving through your veins with every heartbeat. If you were human, I wouldn't dare bite you more. Too much would drug you, but you're not human. So I can do this…"

She moaned loudly as I snapped my fangs into her other wrist, sucking for just the briefest moment. As I pulled back, I squeezed her wrists and she jumped.

"Don't move, luv," I instructed as I slid alongside her. I gave her a light kiss as I pinched both her nipples firmly. She cried out and twisted toward me.

"More!"

I laughed softly. "Oh yes. Much more."

I shifted her legs apart and settled between them, one arm under her hips. I could feel the heat emanating from her and her scent was intoxicating me, but delayed gratification is another powerful turn-on.

She took a jagged breath and moaned raggedly, "Bones, please," as I began nuzzling her thigh, but I had other things in mind first.

"Not yet." I deliberately let the breath from my words tease her, and her jaw clenched in response.

"Yes. Now."

"Not yet," I repeated and bit into her thigh.

Her back arched and her legs tensed as she came with a scream. Her body was still trembling with aftershocks when I settled my mouth between her thighs and gave a deep lick.

The arm under her hips raised her closer to me as I coaxed, teased and tormented her with my tongue. Bloody hell, she tasted so sweet, her lovely natural taste sharpened by pleasure. I felt her tighten around my tongue and stopped abruptly.

"Not yet!" she wailed.

"Hold still." I wrapped my arms tightly 'round her waist until she couldn't move. Slowly, I sealed my mouth over her clitoris and sucked. I felt her entire body tense as she worked out what was coming next, and before she could try to tug away I sank in my fangs.

Shrieks like I've never heard came out of her as she started to thrash on the bed. I plunged into her, only able to give a few thrusts before the repeated clamping on my cock had me orgasm so hard I felt light-headed. Still more shrieks came and I was quickly hard again, this time able to keep from climaxing immediately and thrusting so hard I knew she'd be sore the next day. Again and again we went, orgasm after orgasm, until I felt drunk on pleasure.

Dimly, that tiny part of my brain that wasn't solely focused on pleasuring Kitten heard the sounds of sex below us, identified it as Annette and…Tate? Damned if I cared, though, the woman below me was my only interest.

She continued thrashing under me, having ripped her arms free somewhere around four orgasms ago and was busy ripping up the sheets with tightly clenched hands. The blindfold worked its way off as her head lolled back and forth, but her eyes remained squeezed shut in pleasure. I gripped her hips hard enough to bruise to keep hold of her as I pistoned in and out. She gave one last, hoarse scream and came so tightly around me I thought _I'd_ bruise, and I came so hard and so long it almost made me dizzy. I dropped down and my weight pressed against her.

Slowly her eyes opened and after a moment focused on me. I smiled in victory, knowing I'd fulfilled her demands that I pleasure her like I'd never pleasured anyone else, but also knowing I was nowhere near done.

She shook as I kissed her. "Oh, Kitten," I growled. "You have no idea how much I enjoyed that. I've already spilled myself inside you, bloody hell, I thought you'd castrate me with your pleasure. Do you know how long you've been whipping around from the effects of my bite?"

She looked blank and croaked out, "Five minutes?"

I chuckled. "Try twenty, give or take a few. The police have already come and gone; Annette sent them away. I think the neighbors thought someone was being murdered."

"Huh?" she croaked then gasped when I shifted my hips and slid inside her with one stroke. Her gasp became a cry when I tilted my hips and my pelvis ground into her burning clitoris.

I groaned at the feel of her. "Feels hot, doesn't it?"

"It burns. Burns. God, Bones, it feels so good!" she cried and gripped my hips, pulling me even closer.

"Don't stop, don't stop!"

I started to thrust harder, faster, and her head went back again, tossing from side to side. It was the only part of her that wasn't pinned down. My chest pressed against her breasts and my hands were clamped around her wrists. The tight pressure pushed the hallucinogen further into her and sent her spinning into another orgasm with a shout. That shout became a scream as I came as well and she joined me.

Once I recovered from possibly the best orgasm of my life, I reached beside the bed for her moisturizer. I turned her onto her side, shifting one leg forward as I coated her with a layer of the cream.

Her heart was pounding against my lips as I kissed her neck, distracting her from my hand moving between the cheeks of her buttocks to spread a thick layer of moisturizer. She began to tremble as her brain registered what was coming next.

I curled myself against her I positioned. "It's all right, Kitten, don't fret. Relax…"

She made soft sounds as I moved slowly inside her. _Oh, Christ_. There aren't words for how incredible that felt. I grasped her hip tightly and moaned, giving a small, shallow thrust, pushing the head of my cock inside.

I felt myself throbbing, or maybe it was her. We were together so tightly, so close, I lost the sensation of where I ended and she began. I wanted to feel more of that throbbing – deeper, longer – so I reached down to rub her clit as I moved slowly further.

She gave a small gasp and I stopped immediately, worried it was from pain. "Does this hurt?" I rasped and – with difficulty – held still as I waited for her response.

She didn't answer, so I asked another question. "Do you want me to stop?" In answer, I got a very soft, "No." _Yes._

I tilted my neck around to kiss her, hard, my fingers working quickly against her clit. I moved slowly with each thrust, each one taking me a little deeper. Suddenly her back arched and she began moving with me.

_Oh, fuck. Jesus. Christ, yes, yes, _yes. I heard myself groan it out loud. "Yes. _Yes…_"

I rubbed her with each stroke, moving faster, in and out, in and out. Her nails dug into my arm as we rocked together. The sensation was incredible. My eyes shut and my forehead rested against the back of hers as I pulled her closer, pressing us together as tightly as possible.

Suddenly I felt the throb of her pulse quicken in her clit, felt her tighten slightly around me, and moved to plunge my fingers inside her. I rubbed her g-spot intensely as she came. My own orgasm was coming quickly; I could feel it moving up my legs, down through my arms and finally to my cock.

I growled deeply, down low in my throat and pulled out, coming on her thigh. After a few frozen moments, I got command of my limbs again. "Don't move, luv," I whispered, voice vibrating from my climax. "I'll clean us up."

I grabbed one of the still-warm towels from beside the bed and ran it over her thigh. Then I cleaned myself up with the second towel and threw them both back into the bowl.

I pulled her into my arms and kissed her, biting my tongue to give her drops of blood to keep her from being too sore. She drank them in then suddenly broke away to look down at her breasts, a look of disappointment on her face at the vanishing puncture marks.

I smiled when I saw the look on her face. "Oh, Kitten, I'm not nearly done feasting on your flesh. I can't get enough of that _pop_ when your skin breaks, or the taste of your luscious blood filling my mouth…"

I proved that statement by biting her in every place I had before, her screams coming so often and so loudly that she started sounding dangerously hoarse.

I sat up, wrapping her legs around my waist and brought her closer. I sank my fangs into her neck, thrusting with each slight suction but it still wasn't enough.

"Bite me, Kitten. Drink me as I drink you."

She sank her teeth into my neck roughly, her flat human teeth making deep gouges. There was the indescribable feeling on oneness as we drank from each other, my pleasure increasing with her every pull. Just before her desire became hunger though I wrenched her away.

"No more."

In fury she clawed at me for more blood. I slammed her onto the mattress, thrusting into her faster and harder. A loud _crack_ sounded as the bed broke under us.

"Goddammit, Bones, give me more!" she roared.

"Is that all the fight you've got?" I taunted her.

She ripped into my back with her nails, trying to lick the blood from the scratches off her hands. I held her wrists together and pounded repeatedly inside her, taunting her with my throat near her mouth.

"You'd better not stop fucking me," she snarled, and I grinned. "Because if you do, I'll drain you dry."

I laughed in triumph. "You'll drain me dry, but not my neck, and you'll beg me to stop before I'm finished," I promised before throwing myself into the battle.


	39. Extra: The Morning After

_A/N: As requested, Bones and Tate the morning after… I've edited some of the language from the original post in case you are wondering why you got two notifications. (Most of the idea for this came to me just after waking up, and I curse like a sailor, hence the rather spicy language in the original version.) Special thanks to Wistar89 for reminding me that Bones would've preferred the use of 'shag' most of the time!  
_

_Awakened by the sun light/Victimized by last night  
Memories flashin' through my head/Was I just born or am I dead?  
Yesterday's forgotten, the morning after/I can taste you, I can hear your laughter  
Fading in the distance/Recollections drifting  
Bloodstains on my tattered clothes/Each minute the fear grows  
If I could just lay down to rest/I'm tired of searching for myself  
If I am dead, how can I feel such love?/If I am dead, why am I dreaming?  
If I am dead, where do I go from here?/If I am dead, why does this pain feel so good?  
Is this my blood dried upon my face?/Or is it the love of someone else?  
It tastes so sweet, just like you used to/So rescue me my love, splice us together  
I remember loving you so much/But where are you and where's your fatal touch?  
When I closed my eyes, was it my siesta?/Did I encounter a darkness stronger than sleep?  
I am thirsty for my sleep/There are no answers anyway..._

Faith No More

It was about nine a.m. when I woke the next morning. Kitten was sound asleep beside me, needing more than the scant handful of hours I required. Even so, I was still a bit tired from the exertions the night before. But something required my attention, something that woke me, a niggling thought in my subconscious buzzing around like an angry bee.

As I considered my plan of action, I quickly decided not to shower yet. Tate still had my blood sharpening his senses; his nose was in overdrive. Let them smell sex on me; let them smell Kitten wrapped 'round me like a blanket.

I dressed in some black jeans and a black t-shirt and made my way down the hall to the guest room. I could hear Tate wasn't awake yet, his steady, even breathing giving him away. I made my way silently down the stairs and startled Annette, who was making conversation in the dining room with Rodney, nursing a cup of tea. Grabbing her arm, I hauled her roughly out of her chair and dragged her back upstairs with me.

After a few pounding knocks on the guest room door, I didn't wait for an answer, just swung it open. Tate shot up in bed like he'd been flung from a cannon, confusion dulling his senses for just the briefest second before recognizing me and then anger rolled off him in waves.

"I've something to say to the two of you," I growled. "But first things first. Tate, why the bloody hell did you come back here last night when you were specifically instructed to go home?"

"I was worried about Cat," he spat out. "You looked awfully pissed off at dinner. And while she might be fast with a stake, she's not infallible. I'm her second. It was my duty to make sure she was okay."

"'Okay'?" I repeated. "'_Okay_?' Well, whyever would you think that, I wonder? Answer me this, and don't lie, because I'll know it and she'll be minus a second in command. Have you ever seen me lay a harsh hand on her? Even speak rudely to her?"

"There's a first time for everything," he muttered.

"Let me tell you how 'okay' she is," I said. "Right now she's upstairs, asleep, _in my bed_, tired from the ride of our lives last night. That's how _'okay'_ she is." He and Annette both blanched at that.

"Let me be perfectly clear, since you seem to have difficulty understanding this: Kitten is not your concern. She is _mine_. My concern, my lover, my priority over everything else, even my own safety. I will protect her with my life. So, really, you aren't needed at all. The only reason you are still breathing is because of her misguided fondness for you. _Period_. Should that ever change, your days are numbered. Know that.

"You had her to yourself for four years. Yet you never made a move on her, never tried for more than friendship because you didn't have the stones for it. You knew she was too strong for you, more woman than you could ever handle, and only now that she's chosen another have you decided to act like the sodding little wanker you are and cry and moan about it.

"But let me tell you something: no matter how you bitch and moan, no matter how valiantly you throw yourself into danger for her, even if that 'concern' leads you to shagging another woman _in my own home_ for spite, you will never win. Now, you have a choice: you can be a man and realize you're in waters too deep for you to swim, or you can find another redhead and pretend to yourself it's Kitten. I don't bloody care, and if you want to shag Annette again I don't care about that either, but bugger off and do it somewhere else. Have enough respect for Kitten at least to do that."

"You motherfucker, I am going to -" he started.

"Before you finish that threat, be very, very sure you can back it up," I warned softly.

Then I turned to Annette. "You have a lot to answer for, yourself," I said furiously. "You claim to be my devoted friend? You think you love me? And don't lie, I know it and you know I know it, and to lie belittles us both. How could you do that to me, Annette? _How could you do that_?" I snarled.

"Crispin, I just want what's best for you, and you've been acting mad these last few years, chasing after some chit of a girl who jilted you. I think you only wanted her because you couldn't have her." Annette, at least, had the courage to meet my eyes, chin up and defiant.

"You think you know what's best for me? You think after living as long as I have, leading the life I led, that I can't take care of myself? It's insulting, is what it is. You betrayed me, Annette, and what have I always told you is the worst crime a vampire can commit?"

"To betray your sire," she whispered.

"Exactly. And you betrayed me, by trying to take the love of my life away from me. I know you've held out some misguided hope for years that I would suddenly wake up and say, 'What have I been doing? That Annette, she's the only woman for me.' Don't you think, after the centuries we've known each other that I might've figured that out by now? Do you think me stupid?"

"No, Crispin," she replied, now staring at the carpet.

"No. I haven't, and I won't. I'm sorry to burst your little dream bubble, Annette, but it won't. I made you a vampire over two hundred years ago because I thought you were loyal. You'd been brave and daring to save my life, and I felt the need to recompense that. But the plain fact is, I've been protecting you ever since, and I'm bloody tired of it. That little stunt you pulled last night is the bravest thing you've ever done as a vampire, and it was pathetic. Frankly, I was disappointed I changed you years ago. Even right now, I could beat you bloody with my bare hands for that. Then I'd watch you heal and do it all over again.

"Here's something for you to think about: the only reason I didn't was because Kitten stopped me. Everything you heard last night – which you deserved to hear, and more – was because she gave me an alternative idea that I found infinitely more appealing than taking my rage out on you. No-holds-barred shagging topped flogging the life out of you by a mile. _Her pleasure was your escape from pain_. She gave you a get-out-of-jail-free card, Annette, but it was your one and only. You try another stunt like that again and I will rip your limbs off and beat you with them."

She paled even more at that, but I wasn't done. "The pair of you deserve each other, if you ask me. Here's a suggestion for you: why don't you shag each other again, both of you pretending it's someone else? It's all you're good for these days, it seems.

"Now, I'm going to go back to our bedroom so I can hold her in my arms, lie in the bed we broke and enjoy our scent a bit longer. Not _my_ scent, not _her_ scent, _our_ scent. I certainly hope you've enjoyed it during our little heart-to-heart."

And I went out, slamming the door behind me.


End file.
